Wisconsin Ag Connection - State Milk Production Dips for Just Third Time Since 2014

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State Milk Production Dips for Just Third Time Since 2014
Wisconsin Ag Connection - 11/20/2018

For only the third time in the past four years, Wisconsin dairy cows failed to produce more milk during the month of October than they did a year earlier. According to the USDA's monthly milk production report, state output totaled 2.54 billion pounds last month, down 0.3 percent from October 2017, but more than September's 2.51 billion pounds (which had less days on the calendar).

Prior to this, year-to-year production has risen 50 of the the past 52 months in Wisconsin, according to records kept by Wisconsin Ag Connection. Only May of 2017 and April 2018 showed a dip in the trend.

Nationally, 16.9 billion pounds of milk was produced in the 23 major dairy states for the month, which was 1.0 percent more than in 2017, but less than the previous month's 16.4 billion.

California continues to have the highest total production with about 3.36 billion pounds. Colorado had the greatest increase in year-to-year output as that state produced 391 million pounds of milk in October, up 10.1 percent from the same period last year.

Meanwhile, the number of milk cows on farms in the 23 major states was 8.72 million head, 8,000 head less than October 2017, and 1,000 head less than September 2018. The average number of milk cows on Wisconsin farms for the month was 1.27 million head, unchanged from last month, but 4,000 head less than last year. Monthly production per cow averaged 1,995 pounds, which is about the same as last year's figures.

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