News

U.S. milk production up 4% in September

 

Milk production in the United States in September totaled nearly 16.4 billion pounds up 4 percent from September of last year, the biggest year-over-year increase of 2014.  The dairy herd increased 55,000 head to 9.26 million and production per cow increased 58 pounds to average 1,777.

Milk production in the 23 major dairy states increased 4.1 percent in September to 15.5 billion pounds.  This is the biggest year-over-year increase of 2014.  All of the 23 states saw an increase except for Illinois which was down 0.7 percent.  Production per cow in those states averaged 1,804 pounds up 56 pounds from September of last year.  There were 8.59 million cows in the 23 states, 78,000 more than a year ago and 4,000 more than in August.

California milk production in September totaled nearly 3.3 billion pounds up 2.9 percent from a year ago.  The Golden State dairy herd actually contracted 2,000 head to 1.78 million cows but production per cow jumped 55 pounds to average 1,850.

Wisconsin total milk production in September was 2.29 billion pounds up 3.2 percent from a year ago.  The Badger State dairy herd declined 2,000 head to 1.27 million but production per cow jumped 60 pounds to average 1,805.

The other major milk-producing states: New York 1.129 billion pounds up 4.5%; Idaho 1.136 billion pounds up 3.4%: Pennsylvania 864 million pounds up 3.5%: Texas 820 million pounds up 9.6%.

 

For the July-through-September quarter, milk production totaled 51.1 billion pounds up 3.5 percent compared to the third-quarter of 2013.  The dairy herd averaged 9.27 million cows for the quarter, up 44,000 from a year ago and 15,000 more than the April-through-June quarter of this year.

Read the full NASS report here: