October 2023 USDA Milk Production Report
The October 2023 USDA Milk Production report indicated a slight overall decline in U.S. milk production, with a decrease of 0.5% to 18.7 billion lbs. compared to the previous year. Milk production per cow also saw a reduction, dropping by 3 lbs. per cow in the 24 major states. The number of milk cows in these states was down to 8.91 million head, marking a decrease from both the previous year and month, and representing the smallest herd since January 2022.
Phil Plourd, president of Ever.Ag Insights, commented on the report’s findings, noting the ongoing impact of fewer cows and weather-related issues contributing to this mediocre performance. He speculated about the potential for cow numbers to stabilize and whether milk production in the Southwest will recover following adverse weather conditions.
The report also highlighted the performance of states in the “one billion pound club” of milk production. California, Wisconsin, Idaho, Texas, New York, and Michigan all reached this milestone, though with varying degrees of increases and decreases in production and cow numbers. New Mexico experienced a significant production decline, while South Dakota saw notable increases in both milk production and cow numbers.
