Total milk production in America’s Dairyland rose during the month of March when compared to the same time last year. According to the USDA’s monthly milk production report, Wisconsin farmers produced 2.72 billion pounds during the month, up 3.7 percent from last March and higher than the 2.42 billion made in February 2021.
Nationally, 18.8 billion pounds of milk was produced in the 24 major dairy states for the month. That was a 2.0 percent increase from 2020, and more than the previous month’s 16.8 billion.
California continues to have the highest total production with about 3.73 billion pounds. South Dakota had the greatest percent-increase in output as that state produced 387 million pounds of milk–about 13.4 percent more from the same period last year. Fourteen of the top 24 states had higher year-to-year production last month.
Meanwhile, the number of milk cows on farms in the 24 major states was 8.95 million head, 93,000 head more than March 2020, and 7,000 head more than February 2021. The average number of milk cows on Wisconsin farms for the month was 1.27 million head–about 3,000 head more than last month and 7,000 over last year. Monthly production per cow averaged 2,145 pounds, which was 65 pounds per cow more than last year’s figures.
Source: Wisconsin Ag Connection