Wisconsin Ag Connection - State Milk Output Back on the Upswing

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State Milk Output Back on the Upswing
Wisconsin Ag Connection - 06/20/2018

After ending a nearly four-year streak of year-over-year monthly milk production in April, Wisconsin dairy cows came rebounding back during May. According to the USDA's monthly milk production report, state output totaled 2.65 billion pounds last month, up one percent from May 2017, and more than April's 2.52 billion pounds (which had one less day on the calendar).

Nationally, 17.9 billion pounds of milk was produced in the 23 major dairy states for the month, which was 0.9 percent more than in 2017, amd greater than the previous month's 17.3 billion.

California continues to have the highest total production with about 3.53 billion pounds. Colorado had the greatest increase in year-to-year output as that state produced 393 million pounds of milk in May, up 11.6 percent from the same period last year.

Meanwhile, the number of milk cows on farms in the 23 major states was 8.74 million head, 10,000 head more than May 2017, and 2,000 head more than April 2018. The average number of milk cows on Wisconsin farms for the month was 1.27 million head, unchanged from last month, but 5,000 head less than last year. Monthly production per cow averaged 2,080 pounds, up 30 pounds from last year's figures.

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