U.S. milk output was somewhat held in check in July by heat, humidity, and drought, especially in the west. The Agriculture Department’s preliminary data pegs July output at 19.14 billion pounds, up 1% from June, and just 2.0% above July 2020 though it is the 14th consecutive month to top year ago output. The 24-State total hit 18.3 billion pounds, up 2.1%.
Revisions lowered June’s 50-State estimate by 1 million pounds from last month’s report to 19.95 billion pounds, up 2.9% from 2020. The report wasn’t expected to excite traders either way.
Interestingly, July cow numbers totaled 9.50 million head, down 3,000 from June, second month in a row they fell from the previous month, but were 128,000 above a year ago. June cow numbers were revised down 5,000 head.
July output per cow averaged 2,015 pounds, up 14 pounds or 0.7% from 2020.
California cows put 0.7% less milk in the tank in July as hot weather dropped output per cow by 15 pounds. Cow numbers mirrored those a year ago. Wisconsin was up 4.6%, on a 60 pound gain per cow and 21,000 more cows.
Idaho was up 0.8%, on 9,000 more cows but output per cow was down 15 pounds. Michigan was up 4.3%, on 17,000 more cows and a 10 pound gain per cow. Minnesota was up 4.2% on 17,000 more cows and 5 pounds more per cow. New Mexico was down 2.3%, on a 15 pound loss per cow and 5,000 fewer cows.
New York was up 2.8%, thanks to a 45 pound gain per cow and 4,000 more cows. Oregon was up 0.9%, on 2,000 more cows but output per cow was down 10 pounds. Pennsylvania was down 1.2%, on a loss of 7,000 cows and a 5 pound drop per cow.
South Dakota unmistakably had the biggest gain, up 17.0%, on 21,000 more cows and a 25 pound increase per cow. Texas had the next biggest gain, up 7.2%, driven by 35,000 more cows and a 25 pound gain per cow.
Vermont was up 1.4% on a 55 pound gain per cow but cow numbers were down 2,000. Washington State had the biggest decline of the six states showing a loss, down 6.7%, as soaring temperatures put stress on cows and farmers alike. Output per cow was down 85 pounds and cow numbers were down 8,000 head.
Source: Farmers Advance