That heat is slowing down milk production from coast to coast.
Cows eat much less when they are hot and therefore produce less milk.
Not only that, when the heat wave ends, cows may still produce less milk. It takes time for them to recover. USDA is reporting that milk production in some parts of the country, especially the Middle Atlantic and South Central, are declining up to 30 percent from one week to the next. Milk is being trucked into the Southeast in increasing volumes. It is that combination of heat and strong markets that are causing dairy commodity markets to rise to 1998 levels.