8th Continent - Competitors

8th Continent Competition

Now Viewing 8th Continent's competition in: Dairy Products Manufacture (primary)

Recent Developments

Higher Dairy Prices - Consumer prices for dairy products rose in June 2008 compared to June 2007. Milk prices increased nearly 7 percent and ice cream jumped almost 5 percent. Cheese and related products saw the largest increase, with prices rising almost 15 percent. Rising costs for feed and energy are contributing to higher dairy product prices.

US Dairy Exports Rise - US exports of dairy products rose a sharp 72 percent in the first six months of 2008 compared to a year earlier. The US' NAFTA partners, Mexico and Canada, the largest markets for US dairy exports, had increases of 55 percent and 25 percent, respectively. Dairy exports to Russia increased more than 810 percent. Asia, another key region for exports, also grew: Thailand, 110 percent; Malaysia, 87 percent; Indonesia, 84 percent; Vietnam, 81 percent; and China, 39 percent.

Cotton Crop Affects Dairy Industry - The US cotton crop in 2008 will be roughly half of what it was about two years ago, according to Cotton, Inc. Cottonseed meal, hulls, and whole cottonseed are high in protein and a common feed for dairy cattle. The relative shortage of cottonseed and cottonseed products is driving up the price of these feeds, and the higher prices are being passed to dairy farmers, and ultimately, to consumers.

Competitive Landscape

Changes in consumer income drive demand for various types of dairy foods. The profitability of individual companies depends on efficient operations and marketing, as milk is a commodity product. There are few economies of scale in the manufacturing process, which is why small companies can effectively compete with the large ones in local markets.

Full Industry Overview For Dairy Products Manufacture

Dairy Products Manufacture Industry Forecast

from Hoover's/D&B subsidiary First Research

The output of US dairy products manufacturing is forecast to grow at an annual compounded rate of 3.3 percent between 2007 and 2012.

Dairy Products Manufacturing Growth Peaks then Steadies

First Research forecasts are based on INFORUM forecasts that are licensed from the Interindustry Economic Research Fund, Inc. (IERF) in College Park, MD. INFORUM's "interindustry-macro" approach to modeling the economy captures the links between industries and the aggregate economy.