Dairy Herd, Production Continues To Grow

Dairies across the U.S. continue to add cows to the herd, and produce more milk. USDA reports last month's production at 17.6 billion pounds, which is down 1.5% from February 2020. But, keep in mind, last year was Leap Year, meaning an extra day in February. When that is factored in and U.S. milk output in February 2021 was up 2% year over year. The number of milk cows last month averaged just under 9.5 million head, 81,000 more than last year, and 3000 head more than January 2021.

"We do expect to see cow numbers peak in the first quarter and they decline slowly through the course of the year but still remaining in all forms above where we were last year," said USDA Livestock Analyst, Shayle Shagam.

The latest USDA forecast calls for 2021 milk output to top last year by just under 2% ,and the all-milk price to be below last year's average by about 3%.

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