Dairy cow numbers going up

Washington Ag Today March 23, 2010 After dropping 252-thousand head last year, the total number of dairy cows in the U.S. increased six-thousand head in January and February of this year. Washington was one of the big gainers adding three thousand dairy cows over the first two months of the year. According to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service more cows along with increased production per cow boosted milk production in Washington during February 6.9 percent from February of 2009.

Gerry Bange, Chair of USDA’s Outlook Board says nationally milk production has turned up from year ago levels too.

Bange: “I believe this may be our first forecast in which we‘ve got 2010 actually above 2009 in terms of production. We are up about a tenth of a percent. I think the industry had been in hopes of sort of constraining production if not reducing production a little bit. At the same time we have not changed our output per cow number, therefore we had to go up on our estimate.”

Bange says that increased supply led USDA forecasters to estimate the season ending all-milk price at $15.85 for the March Outlook.

Bange: “That’s down about 70 cents from our previous forecast.”

With lower prices for cheese and non-fat dry milk in the March Outlook and lower export demand feeding into the lower all-milk price.

Cooperatives Working Together has reactivated its export assistance program for cheddar cheese. The program was last used in late 2008. CWT says the focus on cheddar exports will help reduce inventories and stimulate markets.

I’m Bob Hoff and that’s Washington Ag Today on the Northwest Ag Information Network.

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