U.S. dairy farmers are in shrinking company. The nation lost 62.5 percent of its dairy farms between 1992 and 2012. The part of the country hit hardest was the Southeast region, where the dairy industry was downsized by 72.3 percent. Four states - Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi - lost more than 80 percent of their farms during that time period. (The Southeast region includes Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.)
Milk production per cow has been a limiting factor for several Southeastern states. Some states reached production levels near the national average of 74.2 pounds per cow in 2012, including Virginia (69), Florida (68.4), Georgia (67.1) and North Carolina (67.9). However, according to USDA data from Dairy Herd Improvement (DHI) herds, the Southeast region as a whole averaged 62.1 pounds of milk per cow, 12.1 pounds less than the national average.
Higher somatic cell counts may be a contributor to less milk per cow. Average somatic cell counts for these 11 states in 2012 was 299 cells/mL, a considerable drop from the 340 cells/mL average in 2010 but still 50 percent higher than the national average of 200 cells/mL. Again, some states in the Southeast do well in terms of milk quality, including Mississippi (245), Kentucky (251), Virginia (261) and Florida (267). Still, improved somatic cell counts would help the region be more competitive in both national and worldwide markets in the future.
The finger is often pointed at the heat and humidity in that part of the country as the cause of high somatic cell counts and less milk production. While heat and humidity support the growth of mastitis-causing bacteria in a cow's environment, they do not cause mastitis. The farms that do well excel in managing around these uncontrollable weather factors.
A push to find cost effective strategies to improve milk quality and production is coming from the Southeast Quality Milk Initiative (SQMI), a USDA-funded project. An early component of the project is a survey, which was mailed in October to dairy farms in Tennessee, Mississippi, Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina and Virginia. Producers are encouraged to complete the survey, as the information will help the SQMI team develop tools and programs to assist farms in the Southeast in enhancing milk quality.
For more information, visit the SQMI website.
