Dairy Processors Shift Whey Into $13-Per-Pound Proteins as 2026 Class III Milk Forecast Falls
Updated
Updated · RFD-TV · Jun 30
Dairy Processors Shift Whey Into $13-Per-Pound Proteins as 2026 Class III Milk Forecast Falls
3 articles · Updated · RFD-TV · Jun 30
Summary
USDA market data show processors are diverting more whey from commodity streams into higher-value whey protein concentrate and isolate, with WPC 80% quoted in the upper $12s to $13 per pound.
Surging demand for high-quality protein is driving the pivot, with CoBank citing stronger consumer interest and Reuters linking whey demand to GLP-1 weight-loss drugs and healthier eating.
That shift could lift plant margins and spur filtration investment while changing how milk components are valued and which plants offer the best returns to producers.
USDA still cut its 2026 Class III milk forecast to $16.60 per hundredweight because weaker Cheddar and dry whey prices are offsetting some of the benefit from premium protein markets.