Milk production in the 23 major states during October totaled 14.8 billion pounds, up 3.3% from October 2009, USDA reported today.
Among all 50 states, October’s production totaled 15.868 billion pounds, up 2.9% from year-earlier levels.
The October increase brings the nation’s year-to-date milk production gain to 1.6%, noted Alan Levitt in today’s “Daily Dairy Report.”
Western states saw the highest output gains in October milk production, compared to 2009 levels:
Arizona +9.5%
California +4.3%
Colorado +8.1%
Idaho +6.9%
Oregon + 11.4%
Washington +7.1%
Midwest milk production was relatively flat, with Minnesota down 0.1% and Wisconsin up 0.8%. Kansas saw a jump of 8.2% in milk production.
USDA said per-cow production in the 23 major states averaged 1,767 lb. for October, 47 lb. above October 2009.
The number of milk cows on farms in the 23 major states rose to 8.37 million head, 52,000 head more than October 2009, but unchanged from September 2010. USDA pegged cow numbers in all 50 states at 9.118 million. Cow numbers moved above year-earlier levels for the first time since February 2009, Levitt said.
USDA also reported September’s revised production at 14.5 billion pounds, up 3.7% from September 2009. The September revision represented an increase of 6 million pounds, or less than 0.1%, from last month’s preliminary production estimate.
