News
USDA says milk production and herd size is up
The latest USDA report says May milk production was 19.1 billion pounds, up 0.8% from a year ago.
Production in the 23 major dairy producing states totaled 17.9 billion pounds with production per cow averaging 15 pounds more than a year ago at 2,052 pounds in May.
USDA researchers also say the herd is growing, with 9.4 million head of dairy cattle in May, 3-thousand more than last May and 2-thousand more than the previous month.
Herd sizes grew more rapidly in some of the 23 major dairy states where cow numbers are up 10-thousand from May of last year, but herd sizes in the top dairy states are shrinking. California has about 18-thousand fewer cows than a year ago. Wisconsin and Minnesota have about 5-thousand fewer and Michigan about 4-thousand fewer cows. Herds in Texas, South Dakota, and Colorado added the most cows.
Tags: Dairy, dairy markets, milk, milk production, USDA
Yep, and it won’t be long before we see the same old cycle – first milk prices will crater, then the dairies will start culling their herds like crazy — and then the ranchers and farmers that raise beef cattle will get kicked in the teeth on prices for their cattle as all these dairy animals hit the auctions.
Never fails!!!!