GLP-1s, Health Trends Fuel Higher Class III Prices

An article on Dairy Herd Management

The protein boom, driven by exploding population and income growth, heightened awareness of health benefits, and expanding use of GLP-1 weight loss drugs, continues to benefit the U.S. dairy industry. Whey products are an essential part of meeting growing demand for protein, and that is helping prop up farm milk prices, according to Betty Berning, analyst with the Daily Dairy Report.

“Dry whey prices have stayed above 60 cents per pound, a historically high price, since September 2025. And because a nickel increase in dry whey prices results in a 30-cent per hundredweight increase in the Class III price, higher whey prices have been providing support to the Class III complex,” Berning said.

Export demand for U.S. dry whey, which contains between 11-15 percent protein, has been strong in 2026. May exports of just over 66.5 million pounds were the largest since June 2010 and the third highest on record.

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