Corey Geiger: An Influential Voice in the Dairy Industry

Corey Geiger is a seasoned professional within the dairy sector, celebrated for his extensive knowledge and contributions to dairy exports. His career is marked by significant achievements that have shaped the understanding and growth of dairy trade, with a focus on U.S.-Mexico relations.

Current Position and Work

Corey Geiger serves as the lead dairy economist at CoBank. In this prestigious role, he dedicates his efforts to analyzing dairy export patterns and providing strategic insights. His work primarily revolves around understanding the complexities of cross-border dairy trade between the U.S. and Mexico, ensuring compliance while capitalizing on market opportunities.

Important Contributions and Events

Throughout his career, Corey Geiger has been instrumental in facilitating dialogues between U.S. dairy producers and their Mexican counterparts, significantly enhancing the export competitiveness of U.S. dairy products. His contributions include negotiating favorable trade terms and gaining insights into Mexican market demands. Corey shares his expertise through industry conferences, articles in leading agricultural publications, and policy advisory roles that influence the dairy sector.

One of Corey's key achievements involves his active participation in initiatives promoting sustainable dairy farming practices. He actively promotes the idea that "Domestic and international processors are increasingly looking to the U.S. for dairy growth," reaffirming his strategic role within the industry.

Recently, Corey Geiger highlighted trends in the dairy market, noting the possibility of an oversupply of butterfat, reflecting his ongoing commitment to monitoring market dynamics and advising stakeholders on potential challenges and opportunities.

As an economist from CoBank, Corey Geiger has pointed out that the tight supply of heifers is expected to persist for the next two to three years due to the long reproductive cycle of dairy cows. He also noted that dairy products have the unique advantage of containing all nine essential amino acids required in a human diet, making them a complete protein source.

Corey Geiger observes that beef sales have grown to contribute 12 to 15 percent of revenue in many dairy operations, compared to just 5 percent five years ago. He has also stated that in the U.S., butterfat gains have doubled protein growth over the past decade, driven largely by demand to fill underserved domestic butterfat markets. However, higher butterfat yields have created challenges for cheddar and American-style cheese producers.

Corey Geiger analyzed USDA-NASS data and reported that U.S. dairy production is becoming more concentrated geographically. He provided examples of revenue differences, using the Upper Midwest FMMO as an example, highlighting the revenue advantages for higher-component herds.

Recipient of the 2026 Industry Person of the Year award at the World Dairy Expo, Corey Geiger was recognized for his work on multiple-component milk pricing and his role in dairy economics. He grew up on a family dairy farm in Wisconsin and became CoBank’s lead dairy economist in 2023, focusing on component concentration as a measure of farm performance.

Geiger has promoted the importance of component concentration in milk pricing and has been involved in industry education and mentorship.