Wisconsin’s total milk production rose in February after dipping for the first time in ten straight months during the beginning of the year. According to the USDA’s latest milk production report, Wisconsin farmers produced 2.44 billion pounds during the month, up a fractional 0.7 percent from last February, but lower than the 2.66 billion made in January 2022 (which had more days on the calendar).
Nationally, 16.7 billion pounds of milk was produced in the 24 major dairy states for the month. That was down 0.7 percent from 2021, but up from the previous month’s production of 18.2 billion pounds.
California continues to have the highest total production with about 3.32 billion pounds. South Dakota had the greatest percent-increase in output as that state produced 297 million pounds of milk–about 18.3 percent more from the same period last year. Only five 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 8.88 million head, 77,000 head less than February 2021, but 3,000 head more than January 2022. The average number of milk cows on Wisconsin farms for the month was 1.27 million head–unchanged from last month, but 9,000 more than last year. Monthly production per cow averaged 1,920 pounds, which similar to last year’s figures.
Source: Wisconsin Ag Connection