Wisconsin Ag Connection - Another Month, Another Increase in State Milk Production

Wisconsin Ag News Headlines

Another Month, Another Increase in State Milk Production
Wisconsin Ag Connection - 04/21/2017

Wisconsin dairy cows continue to outpace their ancestors by producing more milk than ever before during the month of March. According to the USDA's monthly milk production report, state output totaled 2.59 billion pounds last month, up 1.5 percent from March 2016, and more than February's 2.32 billion pounds. It was also the 35th consecutive month of steady year-to-year increases in overall production when the daily averages of February 2017 were factored in compared to the previous February during leap year.

Nationally, a record 17.5 billion pounds of milk was produced in the 23 major dairy states, which was 1.8 percent more than in 2016, and grater than the previous month's 15.7 billion (which had less days on the calendar).

California continues to have the highest total production with about 3.5 billion pounds, but was one of just five states that had lower production compared to last year. Texas had the greatest increase in year-to-year output as that state produced 1.06 billion pounds of milk in March, up 16.4 percent from the same month last year.

Meanwhile, the number of milk cows on farms in the 23 major states was 8.71 million head, 72,000 head more than March 2016, and 15,000 head more than February 2017. The average number of milk cows on Wisconsin farms for the month was 1.28 million head, unchanged from last month and last year. Monthly production per cow averaged 2,030 pounds, up 30 pounds from last year's figures.

Other Wisconsin Headlines