Dairy Market Drivers: SNAP Program Driving Dairy Demand; an Update on U.S. Cheese Exports; and Inflation in a Minute!

Apr 17, 2026

The U.S. exported 129 million pounds of cheese in February - a new single-month record for U.S. cheese exports. And that was during the shortest month of the year! Shipments were up 30% from the prior February, with 30 million additional pounds of U.S. cheese exported.
Mexico is the biggest buyer of U.S. cheese, and February sales reached a record high there, too. Nearly 46 million pounds were purchased by our neighbor to the south.
Volume to Latin America (not including Mexico) topped 28 million pounds, 41% higher year-over-year. Most of that volume moved into Central America, with Guatemala receiving 6 million pounds. Another noteworthy customer, Japan, increased shipments in February by 67% to reach nearly 11 million pounds.
Competitive prices keep U.S. cheese moving overseas. In early April, U.S. cheese averaged $1.63 per pound. That compared to $1.86 per pound in Europe and $2.16 in New Zealand. With continued growth in U.S. milk production and cheese processing capacity, export demand is the main puzzle piece that keeps inventory from building and prices from slipping further.

Video: EveryPig: AI, Collaboration & Data Integration Shaping Swine Production | Brian Doyle | WPX 2026

What are the biggest technology trends emerging at the 2026 World Pork Expo?

Brian Doyle of EveryPig shares his early observations from the show floor, highlighting strong attendance, increased collaboration between technology providers, and the growing role of artificial intelligence in modern pork production.

Doyle discusses how better data integration between systems can create a single source of truth for producers, while AI-powered tools and intelligent agents help automate routine tasks, analyze large volumes of production data, and turn information into actionable insights that improve decision-making.

Topics Covered:

Artificial Intelligence (AI) in pork production

Data integration and interoperability

Technology collaboration

Digital farm management

Automation and intelligent agents

World Pork Expo 2026

Recorded at the 2026 World Pork Expo.