Only 1,225 dairy herds across the United States called it quits last year.
Based on sheer dairy farm numbers, that represented the lowest total since 1992. That's the year, the American Farm Bureau Federation, Hoard's Dairyman, and a number of other dairy organizations partnered to track the number of dairy operations with permits to sell milk. About a decade ago, USDA took over tracking these numbers.
On a percentage basis, the 2.7 percent loss in farms also was a 24-year low.
The next lowest totals were posted in 2010 when 3.3 percent or 1,800 farms exited the business.
Overall, the U.S. had 43,584 dairy farms in 2015.
With 9,900 farms holding permits to sell milk, Wisconsin was home to 22 percent of the country's dairy farms. Next on the list, is Pennsylvania with 6,770 farms.
Some readers may recall that last year USDA reported that the Keystone State gained farm numbers. Updated totals for 2014 indicate that number was not accurate, as Pennsylvania actually lost operations. The revised total was 6,810, which caused the country to lose an additional 535 farms in 2014.
Overall, the nation's herd size climbed to 212 cows per farm.
An in-depth analysis of U.S. dairy farm numbers can be found on page 151 of the March 10, 2016, issue.
(c) Hoard's Dairyman Intel 2016
February 29, 2016
