The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has released its latest Milk Production report, providing insights into the nation’s dairy output for the end of 2024. The document highlights significant revisions and trends in milk production across the 24 major dairy-producing states. Notably, November's production was revised upwards, while December saw a slight decline compared to the previous year. Oregon experienced the most substantial percentage drop in production, while Texas showed the highest increase. Additionally, milk production per cow decreased for the second consecutive month.

Milk Production Trends Across Major Dairy States

In the waning days of 2024, the USDA adjusted the November milk production figure for the 24 leading dairy states to 17.3 billion pounds, marking an upward revision from the initial estimate of 17.2 billion pounds. This adjustment indicated only a modest 0.3% decrease from the same period in 2023. The agency noted that this revision represented an increase of 89 million pounds or 0.5% from the preliminary estimate.

Turning to December, the overall milk production stood at 18.0 billion pounds, reflecting a 0.4% decline compared to December 2023. Among these states, Oregon faced the steepest percentage reduction, with production dropping from 207 million pounds in December 2023 to 190 million pounds in December 2024—a decrease of 8.2%. California, the largest producer of milk in the country, also witnessed a notable dip, with production falling to 3.213 billion pounds, down 6.8% from the previous year.

Conversely, Texas emerged as the standout performer, recording a 7.5% increase in milk production. In December 2024, Texas produced 1.482 billion pounds of milk, up from 1.378 billion pounds in December 2023.

Moreover, milk production per cow continued to trend downward for the second consecutive month. In December 2024, the average production per cow stood at 2,020 pounds, a decrease of 11 pounds compared to the same month in 2023. The revised November figure was 1,936 pounds, down from 1,947 pounds in November 2023. Despite this, the total number of dairy cows in these top 24 states increased by 17,000 head to reach 8.91 million.

From a journalistic perspective, this report underscores the challenges facing the dairy industry, particularly in key producing states like California and Oregon. The decline in milk production per cow suggests potential issues with feed quality, climate conditions, or management practices. On the other hand, the positive performance in Texas indicates that some regions are adapting more effectively to these challenges. As the industry continues to evolve, it will be crucial to monitor how producers respond to these shifts and what strategies they adopt to maintain productivity and profitability.