DairyTalk 371: The protein trap: TPI formula diverges from current U.S. milk check values - by Helmut Demmelhuber

This episode is based on an analysis of the 2026 TPI revision and
its stronger emphasis on protein production. The article argues
that the roughly 1.7-to-1 weighting in favor of protein does not
reflect current U.S. milk pricing, where fat often carries higher
value. Such a mismatch may encourage breeding decisions that
diverge from actual farm profitability. An illustrative 500-cow
herd is estimated to forgo around $17,500 annually under the
index-driven approach. The discussion examines the implications
for sire selection and highlights the relevance of total
component output and alternative economic indexes aligned with
real market signals. With comments on a "The Bullvine"-article
(April 3rd, 2026) by Andrew Hunt: https://www.thebullvine.com