Nate Donnay

The “Global Insights” column: You still gotta eat

If recession is looming/already here, how will headwinds impact the dairy industry?

Nate Donnay

September 15, 2022

If recession is looming/already here, how will headwinds impact the dairy industry?

A tale of two ‘parties’ for global dairy markets

For some, the past 12 months been a great ‘party’; for others, they have been a financially painful one.

Nate Donnay

May 24, 2022

The best and the worst parties share a few characteristics. They both involve a few questionable decisions and an element of surprise — and they don’t end until the authorities show up.

2021 State of the Industry: Dairy exports are on the road to riches

While it looks like Chinese demand will pump the breaks in 2022, imports from other counties are expected to take the on-ramp.

Nate Donnay

October 21, 2021

U.S. dairy exports in 2022 will mostly continue to speed down the expressway, albeit with different drivers. First, let’s talk about how 2021 has played out because some of the trends from this year will extend into the next.

Dairy imports surge in Chinese market

However, high shipping costs and COVID-19 have slowed exports to other countries.

Nate Donnay

September 7, 2021

Over the past six months, most discussions around global dairy trade have centered on incredibly strong Chinese imports and freight costs and delays.

Rising feed prices will affect US dairy prices

They also will impact other major dairy-exporting countries.

Nate Donnay

June 11, 2021

The Chicago Mercantile corn contract traded over $7.00 the first week of May, which is the first time we’ve seen that since 2013. Dairy futures, and maybe even spot prices, have been pulled higher by the increasing feed prices.

Higher feed costs will ripple through dairy markets

The elevated feed costs raise the floor for dairy prices.

Nate Donnay

March 4, 2021

With all 10,000 of our lakes here in Minnesota currently frozen solid, this may be a strange analogy, but dairy prices move like the waves rippling out from a rock thrown in the water.

2020 State of the industry: US dairy exports walk a tightrope

With the pandemic-related recession, exporters will need to balance oversupply concerns.

Nate Donnay

November 4, 2020

With so many pandemic related variables, it's been a balancing act for U.S. dairy exports. At this point, anything is possible.

2019 State of the Industry: US dairy exports lose their pass line bets

COVID-19’s effect on dairy demand

As the pandemic continues, there are many unknowns as to how the global dairy market will react.

Nate Donnay

September 10, 2020

We all talk about dairy demand as if we know what we're talking about. If you are trying to sell cheese to an importer in Mexico and you sell them 10% more than you did last year, is that good demand? What if you had to cut your price in half from last year to make that sale? Is that still good demand?

Five factors will drive dairy markets over the next year

While supply and demand shifts are happening daily, these influences are likely to stay.

Nate Donnay

June 10, 2020

I promise not to use the words unprecedented, uncertain, essential or new normal. I never want to hear those words again. The main part of my job is tracking, modeling and forecasting the supply, demand and prices of dairy products around the world.

US-China trade deal will loosen some nontariff barriers

But until additional tariffs are removed, dairy exports to China are unlikely to grow substantially

Nate Donnay

March 23, 2020

On Jan. 15, 2020, the United States and China signed "phase one" of a trade deal. The countries' relationship has been trending downward for the past two years, and the deal does mark a possible inflection point.