Posted: 08.19.2010
The pattern for Wisconsin milk production stayed the same in July - up again.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports that July milk production in Wisconsin went up about 2.2 percent thanks in part to 6,000 more milk cows compared to a year ago. The average cow in Wisconsin was also producing about 30 more pounds of milk too ( about 2.5 gallons).
What may surprise some dairy watchers is the strong milk production figure out of Arizona! For July, Arizona milk production went a whopping 8.8 percent! Why the surprise? Well, traditionally during the hot summer months, milk production in the southwest and west tails off. Hot summer temperatures not only impact dairy animals milk production - but it also influences their reproductive efficiency. Apparently Arizona producers are doing a marvelous job managing that heat.
California milk production is apparently building again too. USDA says for July, California had 41,000 more milk cows producing this July versus last - for a 4.7 percent overall increase. Cows there were also giving about 130 pounds of milk more (a little over 11 gallons).
The biggest decline was in Missouri, down 7.8 percent, due to 8,000 fewer cows. Illinois was next, down 1.2 percent with 1,000 fewer cows, and Virginia had the third biggest drop at 0.7 percent with 1,000 fewer cows.
Milk production in the 23 major States during July totaled 15.3 billion pounds, up 3.0 percent from July 2009. June revised production at 15.2 billion pounds, was up 2.9 percent from June 2009. The June revision represented an increase of 23 million pounds or 0.2 percent from last month's preliminary production estimate.
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