USDA milk production numbers in the 24 selected states for March 2025 show a 1.0% uptick year-over-year (y-o-y), totalling 19 billion pounds, the largest increase seen so far this year. With milk production historically peaking in the US between March-May, this increase is a welcome sign to market players as milk production is expected to continue to rise over the next couple of months.
Impressive gains in production from Texas, up 9.4% y-o-y, and South Dakota, up 5.1% y-o-y, are the main contributors to the total growth for the month. California, the largest milk-producing state, still shows signs of struggling production with a drop of 2.1% y-o-y. Sources have expressed concerns to Expana that California milk production numbers might continue to be low throughout the flush season.
Milk per cow also grew during March, up 4 pounds when compared to March 2024, averaging 2,125 pounds per cow. Industry players have reported fewer new and reinfection cases of HPAI, which has contributed to the boost in milk per cow to healthy cattle across a majority of the country. The number of milk cows in the US also showed an increase in March 2025 with 9,000 cows added during the month, as the push for more production to feed new and growing capacity around the country continues.
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Written by Brittany Feyh
