News

April milk report shows 90,000 cow herd reduction

Milk production during April continued its monthly decline but is up slightly on the year while the herd continues to contract.

USDA says production in the U.S. was up one-tenth of a percent to 18.4 billion pounds with production per cow up 21 pounds—the highest for the month since reports started in 2003.

The herd size was down 90,000 milking cows from last April and 1,000 from the prior month.

Michigan continues to have the most productive cows in the nation. Virginia and Illinois had the largest decrease in milk production; Texas and Colorado had the largest increase.