Expect big things from U.S. dairy over the next decade.
That would definitely be one take away from USDA's recent USDA Agricultural Projections to 2025, released in mid-February.
For starters, the federal agency projects milk production will grow by 23 percent over the next decade from this year's 208.6 to 256.2 billion pounds by 2025.
That additional milk flow would be tied to more productive dairy cows. Presently, the average American dairy cow produces 22,393 pounds of milk or 2,600 gallons annually. By 2025, that number could reach 27,405 pounds or 3,187 gallons.
As this takes place, dairy cow numbers would remain somewhat stable at 9.35 million head, up slightly from this year's 9.32 million bovines.
(c) Hoard's Dairyman Intel 2016
February 29, 2016
