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.

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.

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.

The Mailbox Price is defined as the net price received by producers for milk, including all payments received for milk sold, and deducting costs associated with marketing the milk.

Included in all payments for milk sold are: over-order premiums; quality, component, breed, and volume premiums; payouts from state-run over-order pricing pools; payments from super pool organizations or marketing agencies in common; payouts from programs offering seasonal production bonuses; and, monthly distributions of cooperative earnings. Annual distributions of cooperative profits/earnings or equity repayments are not included.  Included in costs associated with marketing milk are: hauling charges; cooperative dues, assessments, equity deductions/capital retains, and re-blends; the Federal milk order deduction for marketing services; Federally-mandated assessments such as the National Promotion Program and budget deficit reduction; and advertising/promotion assessments above the national program level. Other deductions, such as loan, insurance or feed mill assignments are not included. For all markets, the mailbox price is reported at the handlers' average butterfat test (i.e., no adjustment to 3.5 percent).

Estimated Sales figures are representative of the consumption of fluid milk products in Federal Milk Marketing Order areas. The Federal Order In-Area Sales account for approximately 92 percent (based on population density) of total fluid milk sales in the United States. An estimate of total U.S. fluid milk sales is derived by extrapolating the remaining 8 percent of sales from the Federal Order data.

The regulated plant list report is updated monthly as data are submitted by the individual Orders to the Market Information Branch of the AMS Dairy Program. This report lists the number of Federal Orders under which each plant is regulated for the particular month. Although a plant cannot be regulated under more than one order in the same month, some plants may be regulated by one order one month and then be regulated under another order the following month. Regulated handlers are required to submit to the Market Administrator the amounts of producer milk, in pounds, that were received in the previous month. The regulated plant list report lists both regulated pool distributing plants and regulated pool supply plants. Pool distributing plants package and distribute Class I fluid milk products. Pool supply plants supply pool distributing plants with Grade A milk as the need arises. The exact qualification standards and criteria for these two groups of regulated milk handling entities are defined in the statute for each Federal Milk Marketing Order (See CFR §1000 for each Order).