April Milk Output Jumps 2.9%

WASHINGTON - May 16/02 - SNS -- Milk production in the United States jumped 2.8% during April to 12.5 billion pounds in the top 15 producing states in the country.

In releasing its latest data, the USDA noted March revised production, at 12.8 billion pounds, was up 3.1% from March 2001. The March revision represented a decrease of 7 million pounds from last month's preliminary production estimate.

Production per cow in the 20 major States averaged 1,614 pounds for April, 43 pounds above April 2001. The number of milk cows on farms in the 20 major States was 7.75 million head, 12,000 head more than April 2001, and 8,000 head more than March 2002.

       Milk Cows and Production:  By Quarter, United States, 2001-2002 1/
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          :   Milk Cows 2/    :  Milk Per Cow 3/  :     Milk Production 3/
          :---------------------------------------------------------------------
  Quarter :         :         :         :         :         :         : Change
          :  2001   :  2002   :  2001   :  2002   :  2001   :  2002   :  From
          :         :         :         :         :         :         :  2001
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          :     1,000 Head      ---- Pounds ----     Million Pounds     Percent
          :
Jan-Mar   :  9,143     9,105     4,514     4,642     41,267   42,264      2.4
Apr-Jun   :  9,114               4,683               42,681
Jul-Sep   :  9,098               4,459               40,570
Oct-Dec   :  9,105               4,483               40,818
          :
Annual    :  9,115              18,139              165,336
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1/  May not add due to rounding.
2/  Includes dry cows, excludes heifers not yet fresh.
3/  Excludes milk sucked by calves.