For only the fourth time since the beginning of the year, Wisconsin dairy cows were able to produce more milk during November when compared to the same time a year earlier. The USDA reports that output in America’s Dairyland totaled 2.48 billion pounds during the month–up 2.7 percent from last November, but lower than the 2.58 billion made in October 2020 (which had more days on the calendar).
Nationally, 17.2 billion pounds of milk was produced in the 24 major dairy states for the month. That was a 3.1 percent increase from 2019, but less than the previous month’s 17.7 billion.
California continues to have the highest total production with about 3.35 billion pounds. South Dakota had the greatest percent-increase in output as that state produced 263 million pounds of milk–about 13.4 percent more from the same period last year. Eighteen 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 8.90 million head, 82,000 head more than November 2019, and 13,000 greater than October 2020. The average number of milk cows on Wisconsin farms for the month was 1.26 million head, up 2,000 head from last month, but 5,000 fewer than last year. Monthly production per cow averaged 1,975 pounds, which was 60 pounds per cow more than last year’s figures.
Source: Wisconsin Ag Connection