Milk production in the 23 major states of the US in the month of May was up 1.2% on May 2015 with production totalling 17.5 billion pounds.
According to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), production per cow in the 23 major States averaged 2,019lbs for May, 21lbs above May 2015.
This is the highest production per cow for the month of May since the 23 State series began in 2003.
The number of dairy cows on farms in the 23 major States was 8.64m head, 11,000 head more than May 2015, but the USDA said this was unchanged from April 2016.
For the US in total, milk production in May totalled 18.6 billion pounds, up 1.2% from May 2015.
Production per cow in the United States averaged 1,999lbs for May, 23lbs above May 2015.
The number of dairy cows on farms in the United States was 9.33m head, 3,000 head more than May 2015, but like the 23 major milk producing states this figure was unchanged from April 2016.
Meanwhile for April, the US Department of Agriculture revised production to 16.8 billion pounds, an increase of 1.1% on April 2015.
This represented a decrease of 13m pounds (0.1%) from last month’s preliminary production estimate.
For each month so far in 2016, US milk production has increased on the corresponding month last year.
Meanwhile, in the USDA’s latest outlook report, it said that with a more gradual decline in cow numbers expected for 2017, the milk production forecast for 2017 is increased from 215.2 billion pounds to 215.3 billion pounds.
However, the outlook also said that the impact of higher expected feed prices on producer margins during 2016 is expected to temper the increase in milk production
US dairy exports, on a skim-solids milk-equivalent basis, are expected to grow in 2017 as global
demand for dairy products grows.
