Milk in the United States has transformed slowly but surely, and it’s causing problem for the cheese and butter supply chains. In 2000, the average dairy cow made 670 pounds of fat in her milk per year, a level which today stands at 1,025 pounds of fat per year. That’s a triumph of dairy science, but it’s caused an oversupply that’s crashing the price of butter. Milkfat had come in around 3.65 percent for decades, but that number rose sharply to 4.24 percent in 2024 — most of which is attributable to genetics. This is an issue for some cheese makers, as cheddar, Colby and Monterey Jack require lower fat-protein ratios. Makers now have to adjust their processing plants to remove the excess fat.
Sarah Zhang, The Atlantic
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