WASHINGTON – Even in the face of low milk prices, the USDA recorded more cows and higher milk production in March, compared to a year ago.
Milk production in the 20 states surveyed during March 2003 totaled 13.0 billion pounds, up 1.5 percent from production in these same states in March 2002, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service.
February revised production, at 11.6 billion pounds, was up 1.6 percent from February 2002.
The number of milk cows on farms in the 20 major states averaged 7.81 million head, 67,000 head more than March 2002, and 2,000 head more than February 2003.
Production per cow in the 20 major states averaged 1,664 pounds for March, 10 pounds above March of last year.
