Dairy Market Drivers: Weather Impacts on Milk and Fat Production; Declining SNAP Participation; and the American Consumer in a Minute!

Jul 23, 2026

Declining participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) creates another headwind for food demand.
USDA reported 20.3 million households enrolled in March, down 10% from a year earlier. That was the lowest enrollment level since March 2020 as new eligibility stipulations, work requirements, and state administrative cost-share provisions contributed to reduced enrollments.
Total benefits are shrinking alongside enrollment. Average monthly SNAP benefits held relatively steady at $347 per household, down just 1% from last year. But with 2.3 million fewer households participating, total benefits paid were roughly $880 million lower than a year earlier.
Fewer SNAP dollars in wallets cuts into grocery spending. SNAP benefits accounted for 8.3% of grocery store revenue in March, down from 9.4% a year ago and the smallest share since March 2020. That’s a meaningful shift for retailers, especially those serving value-conscious consumers.
Milk and other dairy products are some of the important staples purchased with SNAP dollars. But if fewer households are participating in food assistance programs, cash-strapped consumers may have tough choices to make. For dairy, this is a trend worth watching.

Video: Berry Pomace and Weaning Stress - Astrid Pilgård Rasmussen

In this episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Astrid Pilgård Rasmussen, PhD student in Animal Science at Aarhus University, discusses berry pomace as a feed ingredient for newly weaned pigs. She explains how berry byproducts may support gut health, oxidative stress response, diarrhea outcomes, and growth performance while fitting circular use of local resources. Listen now on all major platforms!

"Berry pomace is the byproduct we have left after juice production from berries."

Meet the guest: Astrid Pilgård Rasmussen / astrid-pilg%c3%a5rd-rasmussen-189687235 is a PhD Student in Animal Science at Aarhus University, Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences. Her PhD work focuses on feeding strategies to mitigate oxidative stress and improve gut health in weaned pigs as part of the PIG PARADIGM Project. Learn more from Astrid Rasmussen on The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, available on all major platforms!