Wisconsin Ag Connection - Wisconsin Sets New Milk Production Record in 2009

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Wisconsin Sets New Milk Production Record in 2009
Wisconsin Ag Connection - 02/23/2010

Dairy producers may not have seen much of a profit during the past year, but the production of their milk grew to new record levels.

This week, the Wisconsin Ag Statistics Service reported that the state's 1.26 million milk cows produced 25.2 billion pounds of milk in 2009. This represents a three percent increase from 2008 and is a new record for Wisconsin.

Statewide, milk per cow averaged 20,079 pounds, 533 pounds more than a year earlier--accounting for 13 percent of the nation's production.

Nationally, 189 billion pounds of milk were produced in 2009, down less than one percent from 2008. Average milk per cow grew to 20,576, up 181 pounds from the previous year. The number of milk cows in the U.S. decreased in 2009. There were 9.20 million cows, 114,000 fewer than in the previous year.

California continues to be the nation's top milk producer with 39.5 billion pounds in 2009. Wisconsin was second with 25.2 billion pounds, followed by New York with 12.4 billion pounds. Idaho and Pennsylvania remained in fourth and fifth places with 12.2 and 10.6 billion pounds of milk, respectively.

The average number of dairy farms licensed to sell milk in Wisconsin during 2009 was 13,170, down 560 from the previ-ous year. The U.S. total was 54,942 licensed dairy herds, a loss of 2,185 herds.