Milk production: growth in US, contraction Down Under

In November, American milk supplies amounted to 7,93 million tons, according to figures from the American Department of Agriculture. This is an increase of 1,4% compared to the same month last year. This means that growth remains in line with the previous months. Since July there has been a year-on-year increase in production, fueled by increased milk prices. The USDA expects that growth will continue in 2023, despite the fact that American milk prices, just like in Europe, are falling. 

The number of dairy cows has increased by just under 50.000 to 8,94 million compared to a year ago. In addition, productivity per cow continues to grow. Production has increased significantly in Texas in particular, by more than 5%. Production is also growing in the dairy states of New York and Wisconsin. In California, by far the largest dairy state, there has been a slight decline.

New Zealand
New Zealand dairy farmers produced 2,83 million tonnes of milk last month, a decline of 1,7% compared to the same month in 2021. This means that the contraction is shrinking, because in October the deficit was still almost 3,5%. The extra production can be attributed to favorable growing conditions. The production backlog is also increasing in Australia. In November, production amounted to 819.900 tons, a decrease of almost 10% compared to last year. In October the contraction was still more than 6%.