Milk production in Iowa during December 2018 totaled 441 million pounds, down fractionally from the previous December according to the latest USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service – Milk Production report. The
average number of milk cows during December, at 220,000 head, was unchanged from last month and last year. Monthly production per cow averaged 2,005 pounds, down 5 pounds from last December.
Milk production in the 23 major States during December totaled 17.1 billion pounds, up 0.9 percent from December 2017. November revised production at 16.4 billion pounds, was up 0.8 percent from November 2017. The November revision represented a decrease of 3 million pounds or less than 0.1 percent from last month’s preliminary production estimate.
Production per cow in the 23 major States averaged 1,966 pounds for December, 23 pounds above December 2017. This is the highest production per cow for the month of December since the 23 State series began in 2003.
The number of milk cows on farms in the 23 major States was 8.72 million head, 21,000 head less than December 2017, and 2,000 head less than November 2018.
Milk production in the United States during the October – December quarter totaled 53.3 billion pounds, up 0.5 percent from the October – December quarter last year.
The average number of milk cows in the United States during the quarter was 9.36 million head, 18,000 head less than the July – September quarter, and 41,000 head less than the same period last year.