Market information and data is collected throughout the course of the live auction, as the reporter will grade the livestock and record the pertinent information in the reporting tool. Information that the reporter must record for each lot includes the official USDA grade, weight, head count, and selling price. To ensure the accuracy of these reports, each Market Reporter is required to take a written test and apply their skills during an official live animal grading correlation with their supervisor every two years.

Regulated handlers are required to submit to the Market Administrator the amounts of producer milk, in pounds, that were received in the previous month. Receipts of Producer Milk is the amount of milk received by producers who meet the requirements of qualification as defined by the statute. This milk is also known as eligible milk for market wide pooling. Each order has its own criteria for pool qualification and for regulated handlers. Regulated handlers, under certain circumstances and price relationships, may elect to not include certain quantities of producer milk that is eligible to be pooled on Federal Orders. The annual report is a sum of the monthly receipts of producer milk.

The Retail Milk Price is a milk price series that is collected by the Market Administrator offices surveying one outlet each of the largest food store chain, the second largest food store chain, and the largest dairy/convenience store chain in the selected city or metropolitan area. The survey is conducted on one day between the first and tenth of each month, excluding Fridays and weekends. The price obtained is for the most common brand, based on shelf space, and does not represent a temporary special price, or one that is dependent on the purchase of other food items or the use of a cents-off coupon. The determination of the largest and second largest food store chain is based on estimated sales of fluid milk products in the metropolitan area. Currently, prices are collected for conventional whole milk and conventional reduced fat (2%) milk, sold in gallon containers, and organic whole milk and organic reduced fat (2%) milk, sold in half-gallon containers.

For milk associated with Federal Milk Marketing orders, product-price formulas are used to set minimum prices as reported in the Announcement of Class and Component Prices  publication each month. The Class and Component Prices are calculated by weighting the sales values and volumes using the most recent four or five weeks (since the last monthly Announcement of Class and Component Prices) from the latest National Dairy Products Sales Report (NDPSR). For more information on product price formulas and a schedule of release dates, please visit the Dairy Mandatory Market Reporting page. Additional information on price formulas can be found on the Price Formulas page.

For milk associated with Federal Milk Marketing Orders, product-price formulas are used to set minimum prices as reported in the Announcement of Advanced Prices and Pricing Factors publication each month. Weighted-average product prices used for these formulas are computed from prices and volumes reported for the most recent two-week period in the National Dairy Products Sales Report (NDPSR). For more information on product price formulas and a schedule of release dates, please visit the Dairy Mandatory Market Reporting page. Additional information on price formulas can be found on the Price Formulas page.

The monthly Uniform Milk Price is derived by multiplying the minimum price for each class by the amounts of milk pooled in each class (this is the pool milk value for each class) and then dividing the aggregated combined pool milk value by the total amount of milk pooled each month. For those Orders that do not utilize multiple component pricing, additional data values (Uniform Butter Price & Uniform Skim Milk Price) are published. For the Orders that do utilize multiple component pricing, the Uniform Producer Price Differential (PPD) is also published. The All Markets Combined is a weighted average of all of the Orders but is based on the Order’s total producer milk pounds at the Order’s Uniform price.

Receipts of Producer Milk by Regulated Handlers is the amount of producer milk in pounds that qualifies for pooling on each of the Federal Milk Marketing Orders each month. Each order has its own criteria that determines if a producer's milk is eligible to be pooled. Average Daily Delivery of Milk Per Producer to Regulated Handlers is the amount of producer milk pooled under each Federal Milk Marketing Order divided by the number of producers whose milk is pooled for that month for each Order and then divided by the number of days in the month. Butterfat Test of Producer Milk is the average percentage of butterfat contained in the producer milk pooled each month. Nonfat Solids Test of Producer Milk is the average percentage of nonfat solids (all milk solids other than butterfat) contained in the producer milk pooled each month. Protein (True) Test of Producer Milk is the average percentage of protein (true) contained in the producer milk pooled each month. Other Solids Test of Producer Milk is the average percentage of other solids (other than butterfat and protein (true). Nonfat Solids, Protein and Other Solids Test Data are only reported for those Federal Milk Marketing Orders that utilize multiple component pricing. Somatic Cell Count of Producer Milk is the average number of somatic cells per milliliter contained in the producer milk reported for those orders who utilize somatic cell counts in their milk pricing formulas.

Starting with October 2020, the Total Receipts of Producer Milk by Order report will be split into two separate monthly reports:

• Producer Milk Components by Order
• Producer Receipts by Order