Goat Milk

U.S. dairy shipments grew 2% year-on-year in August measured in milk solids equivalent and generated US$919 million, up 10%. Cheese expanded again, while NFDM/SMP and WPC80+ fell back on limited exportable supply.

U.S. dairy exports returned to positive territory in August after two months of decline.

August marked a partial reversal of the 4% combined contraction recorded in June and July, according to data released by the U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC). Export value rose 10% from August 2025, while the recovery varied substantially by product category.

Cheese grows 9%, but loses speed
Cheese shipments reached 59,007 tonnes, an annual increase of 9%, or about 5,113 tonnes. It was the first month since March in which exports fell below 60,000 tonnes. USDEC said the price advantage enjoyed by American cheese over international competitors had begun to narrow, after unusually strong growth through much of 2025 and the early months of 2026.

Latin America sustains progress
Latin America supplied much of the cheese growth. Cheese shipments to Mexico increased by 19%, adding roughly 3,095 tonnes; exports to South America rose 35%, or 1,035 tonnes; and deliveries to Central America grew 17%, adding 1,009 tonnes. By contrast, sales to South Korea, the second-largest market for U.S. cheese according to USDEC, fell 12%. Australia declined 10%, while shipments to the Middle East and North Africa decreased 23%.

Milk fat loses strength
Total dairy-fat exports fell 6% year on year in August. Butter shipments dropped 12%, a reduction of 975 tones, while anhydrous milk fat rose 11% and recorded its 26th consecutive month of annual growth. European demand weakened as local supply improved and prices fell. Mexico was a notable exception: U.S. dairy-fat shipments there jumped 1,050% in August, an increase of 2,222 tones. For the year to date, exports to Mexico were up 126%, or 11,318 tones, from the same period in 2025.

Powdered milk is still the weak point
Skimmed milk powder, also known as NFDM/SMP, remained the weakest major category. Exports fell 19%, with the reduction approaching 10,916 tones. USDEC attributed the result mainly to restricted export availability in the United States and less competitive prices. Southeast Asian buyers turned more heavily to New Zealand and the European Union: shipments to the Philippines fell 90%, those to Vietnam declined 85%, and deliveries to Malaysia decreased 78%.

WPC80+ is also limited by the offer
Exports of whey protein concentrate containing at least 80% protein, or WPC80+, shipments decreased 21%, equivalent to 1,422 tones. Brazil recorded a 79% decline, while Japan and Canada reduced purchases by 38% and 25% respectively. USDEC also cited limited export supply for this result. In contrast, milk-protein concentrate exports rose 36% to 5,225 tones, their highest monthly volume in almost four years. Shipments to Brazil increased 533%, adding 673 tones, and sales to Japan rose from 2 tones in August 2025 to 222 tones a year later. USDEC said some producers of protein-fortified foods may be using milk-protein concentrate as an alternative when WPC80+ is less available and more expensive.

Lower-protein whey products also performed strongly. Shipments increased 25%, or 11,487 tonnes, across powdered whey, lower-protein concentrates and modified whey. Canada raised purchases by 183%, while Southeast Asia increased them by 46%. The August figures therefore showed different outcomes within the protein market, with supply, relative prices and the ability to substitute one ingredient for another affecting the distribution of sales. The data covered U.S. exports in August 2026 and were sourced from USDEC.

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Owner says dogs killed a third of his herd. He may pause production until November after losing 30% of his herd.

BUCKEYE, Arizona – Wendell Crow, who runs Crow’s Dairy in Buckeye, said an overnight attack killed more than 35 goats. The animals were kept in a pen, where a newly dug opening was found along the farm’s fence. Crow said he believed dogs were responsible, although he said he had no proof identifying the animal involved.

The herd consists of goat milk. Crow’s Dairy supplies goat milk and cheese to restaurants, hotels and households across the Valley. Crow said the deaths amounted to roughly 30% of the farm’s animals, leaving about one-third of the herd buried after the incident.

“It’s so disheartening to have something like this happen when you put your life into it,” Crow said. He added that the loss had affected the operation because the surviving goats would produce far less milk.

Crow said production might have to shut down until around November. He said the business would not be rebuilt from the beginning, however, because it still had products in stock. Those supplies would continue to be sold to restaurants, he said.

The farm owner attributed the suspected attack to loose dogs in the Rainbow Valley area. Arizona law allows livestock owners to protect their herds from dogs that chase or attack them. Dog owners may face charges and penalties when their pets are responsible for such attacks.

Crow has moved the remaining goats to the front of the barn so they could be monitored more closely. He was also considering an electric fence to deter animals from digging beneath the boundary. The farm has operated since the early 1900s and was featured on Jamie’s Local Love in 2020 and on the programme’s podcast in 2024.

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At Sommet de l’Élevage in France, representatives of French and Moroccan organizations signed a protocol to launch a two-year cooperation project in sheep and goat farming. The program includes measures to increase the productivity of a goat dairy farm and modernize milk processing in Morocco.

The agreement was signed by Races Ovines des Massifs, the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, the regional chamber of agriculture, and Morocco National Sheep and Goat Association (ANOC). The project is funded by the Directorate General of the Treasury of France’s Ministry of Economy and Finance.

An audit of goat milk production is planned at the Bellota pilot station, along with the development of measures to increase productivity. At the Ajbane processing facility, the project provides for modernization and stronger quality control of dairy products.

Other areas of work include creating a mobile sheep artificial insemination unit, a digital tool for sheep and goat insemination centers, improving the management of feed resources, and designing livestock buildings suited to the local climate and animal welfare requirements.

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