December Milk Production Up 0.7%
The United States Department of Agriculture reported this afternoon that December milk production was up just 0.7%, the fifth consecutive month that milk production grew less than 1%.
For the year, total milk production was up 1.2%. In 2015, the U.S. produced 208.5 billion lb. of milk. Milk per cow averaged 22,283 lb., and cow numbers averaged 9.315 million head.
In December, U.S. cow numbers totaled 9.322 million head, up 23,000 head over a year ago and up just 1,000 from November. In January of 2015, cow numbers were running 92,000 head higher than the previous year.
California milk production again declined in December, down 3.2%. This is the 13th consecutive month of decline for the Golden State. New Mexico was down 6.2% and Texas was down 3%, perhaps in part reflecting the blizzard that buried cow lots in those states late in the month.
The state showing the biggest increase in milk output was South Dakota, up 13%. Cow numbers in the Mount Rushmore state were up 12,000 from a year ago and 3,000 from November.
Wisconsin milk production was up 114 million lb. in December over a year ago, or 4.8%. Cow numbers were also up 6,000 head. Michigan was also up 4.8%, with cow numbers up 10,000.
You can read the full December milk production report here.
