Milk production and factors affecting supply (since 1980)

January 1 inventory

Year

Milk cows ReplaceAverage

and heifers
ment
Replace- number of
that have heifers, 500 ments per milk cows in Milk per
calved
+ lbs.
100 cows the U.S.
cow
thousand

1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999

Milk cow cost

10,758
10,849
10,986
11,047
11,059
10,777
11,116
10,466
10,311
10,138
10,015
9,966
9,728
9,658
9,507
9,482
9,420
9,318
9,199
9,128

4,159
4,342
4,547
4,545
4,533
4,770
4,709
4,305
4,122
4,117
4,171
4,093
4,131
4,176
4,125
4,121
4,090
4,058
3,986
4,069

38.7
40.0
41.4
41.1
41.0
44.3
42.4
41.1
40.0
40.6
41.6
41.1
42.5
43.2
43.4
43.5
43.4
43.6
43.3
44.6

thousand

pounds

10,799
10,898
11,011
11,059
10,793
10,981
10,773
10,327
10,224
10,046
9,993
9,826
9,688
9,581
9,494
9,466
9,372
9,252
9,151
9,153

11,891
12,183
12,306
12,622
12,541
13,024
13,285
13,819
14,185
14,323
14,782
15,031
15,570
15,722
16,179
16,405
16,433
16,871
17,185
17,763

Average
Milk
price paid
production for milk 1
dollars per
mil. pounds
cwt
128,406
132,770
135,505
139,588
135,351
143,012
143,124
142,709
145,034
143,893
147,721
147,697
150,847
150,636
153,602
155,292
154,006
156,091
157,262
162,589

13.00
13.80
13.60
13.60
13.50
12.70
12.50
12.50
12.20
13.60
13.70
12.20
13.10
12.80
13.00
12.70
14.90
13.30
15.50
14.40

Dairy
ration
value 2
dollars
per cwt

Milk/feed
price ratio

4.84
5.04
4.42
5.24
5.34
4.50
3.77
3.45
4.72
5.07
4.86
4.49
4.37
4.60
4.93
4.91
6.15
5.62
4.73
4.01

2.72
2.76
3.09
2.61
2.54
2.84
3.39
3.64
2.63
2.70
2.82
2.74
3.01
2.80
2.65
2.59
2.44
2.38
3.34
3.59

Alfalfa hay
Milk volume
price
required to received by
Price
buy a cow
farmers
dollars per
dollars per
pounds
head
ton
1,190
1,200
1,110
1,030
895
860
820
920
990
1,030
1,160
1,100
1,130
1,160
1,170
1,130
1,090
1,100
1,120
1,280

9,154
8,696
8,162
7,574
6,630
6,772
6,560
7,360
8,115
7,574
8,467
9,016
8,626
9,063
9,000
8,898
7,315
8,271
7,226
8,889

72.00
70.90
72.73
78.70
79.48
73.68
64.64
65.97
82.51
95.98
92.56
78.96
75.51
86.67
93.63
88.09
95.03
110.69
94.28
82.26

Milk production and factors affecting supply (since 1980)

January 1 inventory

Year

Milk cows ReplaceAverage

and heifers
ment
Replace- number of
that have heifers, 500 ments per milk cows in Milk per
calved
+ lbs.
100 cows the U.S.
cow
thousand

2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015

Milk cow cost

9,183
9,172
9,106
9,142
8,988
9,004
9,104
9,145
9,257
9,333
9,087
9,156
9,236
9,221
9,208
9,307

4,000
4,057
4,055
4,114
4,018
4,117
4,298
4,325
4,415
4,410
4,551
4,577
4,618
4,546
4,549
4,710

43.6
44.2
44.5
45.0
44.7
45.7
47.2
47.3
47.7
47.2
50.1
50.0
50.0
49.3
49.4
50.6

thousand

pounds

9,199
9,103
9,139
9,081
9,010
9,050
9,137
9,189
9,314
9,202
9,123
9,199
9,237
9,224
9,257
9,317

18,197
18,162
18,608
18,759
18,960
19,550
19,895
20,204
20,397
20,561
21,142
21,334
21,722
21,816
22,259
22,393

Average
Milk
price paid
production for milk 1
dollars per
mil. pounds
cwt
167,393
165,332
170,063
170,348
170,832
176,931
181,782
185,654
189,978
189,202
192,877
196,255
200,642
201,231
206,054
208,633

12.30
15.00
12.10
12.50
16.10
15.10
12.90
19.10
18.30
12.80
16.30
20.10
18.50
20.10
24.00
17.10

Dairy
ration
value 2
dollars
per cwt

Milk/feed
price ratio

4.04
4.41
4.67
4.80
5.20
4.68
5.04
6.80
9.17
7.27
7.20
10.76
12.15
11.71
9.52
8.06

3.05
3.39
2.60
2.61
3.10
3.24
2.57
2.80
2.01
1.78
2.26
1.90
1.52
1.75
2.54
2.13

Alfalfa hay
Milk volume
price
required to received by
Price
buy a cow
farmers
dollars per
dollars per
pounds
head
ton
1,340
1,500
1,600
1,340
1,580
1,770
1,730
1,830
1,950
1,390
1,330
1,420
1,430
1,380
1,830
1,990

10,894
10,000
13,223
10,720
9,814
11,722
13,411
9,581
10,656
10,859
8,160
7,065
7,730
6,866
7,625
11,637

83.88
102.41
101.30
94.03
95.13
102.53
107.71
130.58
161.33
122.92
116.42
176.08
206.08
205.83
200.25
166.67

For the all-milk price, calendar year averages are reported in this table. This differs from annual marketing-year averages reported by USDA National Agricultural Statist
Service (NASS) for years prior to 1996. For years prior to 1996, all-milk prices are rounded to the nearest 10 cents to be consistent with NASS reporting since 1996.
2
Price of 16-percent protein mixed dairy feed. The modeled feed uses 51 percent corn, 41 percent alfalfa hay, and 8 percent soybeans.
1

Pounds of 16-percent dairy feed equal in value to 1 pound of milk. For years after 1983, milk-feed ratio values in this table match those reported by NASS. For years pri
to 1984, NASS uses a different method for computing the milk-feed ratio. In this table, the same method is used for all years in order to provide a consistent data series.
Computations using the rounded milk prices and feed values in this table may not equal annual reported average milk-feed ratios due to rounding.
3

Utility grade, Omaha 1965-87; Wisconsin auctions, 1988-99; South St. Paul, 2000-08. For years after 2008, a slaughter price for live cull cows is not available; therefore
the national price for dressed domestic cutter cows (90 percent lean, 500 pounds and up) is multiplied by 49.5 percent to estimate a live equivalent price.
4

Milk production and factors affecting supply (since 1980)

January 1 inventory

Year

Milk cow cost

Milk cows ReplaceAverage

and heifers
ment
Replace- number of
that have heifers, 500 ments per milk cows in Milk per
calved
+ lbs.
100 cows the U.S.
cow
thousand

thousand

pounds

Average
Milk
price paid
production for milk 1
dollars per
mil. pounds
cwt

Dairy
ration
value 2
dollars
per cwt

Milk/feed
price ratio
3

Alfalfa hay
Milk volume
price
required to received by
Price
buy a cow
farmers
dollars per
dollars per
pounds
head
ton

Sources: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, USDA Agricultural Marketing Service, and USDA Economic Research Service calculations.
For further information, contact Jerry Cessna, 202-691-5171, jgcessna@ers.usda.gov.

Slaughter
cow
price 4
dollars per
cwt
45.73
41.93
39.96
39.35
39.81
38.31
37.18
44.80
47.91
50.11
53.32
51.50
49.69
50.14
45.03
38.12
33.00
36.93
35.54
37.28

Slaughter
cow
price 4
dollars per
cwt
40.08
44.78
40.09
42.99
52.66
53.94
49.08
49.51
51.44
44.38
56.10
68.30
77.71
77.56
102.04
99.56

is differs from annual marketing-year averages reported by USDA National Agricultural Statistics
es are rounded to the nearest 10 cents to be consistent with NASS reporting since 1996.
ercent corn, 41 percent alfalfa hay, and 8 percent soybeans.

rs after 1983, milk-feed ratio values in this table match those reported by NASS. For years prior
this table, the same method is used for all years in order to provide a consistent data series.
ay not equal annual reported average milk-feed ratios due to rounding.

ul, 2000-08. For years after 2008, a slaughter price for live cull cows is not available; therefore,
ounds and up) is multiplied by 49.5 percent to estimate a live equivalent price.

Slaughter
cow
price 4
dollars per
cwt