2023 annual milk production was down 98 million pounds compared to the 2022 total. However, annual total milk production has increased 9.9% from 2014.

Every five years, the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) conducts a Census of Agriculture. The data collected helps to identify trends and changes in U.S. agriculture over time. The 2022 census released earlier this week shows a continued decline in the total number of U.S. farms, which was down 7% from 2017.

Here’s Progressive Forage’s monthly look at factors impacting hay markets across the U.S.

Here’s a summary of news impacting your dairy as we approach the middle of February 2024.

December 2023 U.S. agricultural export numbers revealed that despite limited growth in the dairy products sector, replacement heifer exports finished the year at the second-highest total since 2018. Here’s Progressive Dairy’s 30,000-foot view at dairy-related export categories.

The USDA’s World Ag Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report identifies milk and feed factors potentially impacting dairy producer income in the year ahead.

Tightening cow and heifer numbers pushed average prices for U.S. replacement dairy cows to a nine-year high in January, according to latest USDA quarterly estimates.

The USDA’s semiannual estimate of cattle inventories indicates the number of dairy cows to start 2024 are the lowest in four years.