E-mail: nass-ny@nass.usda.gov
(518) 457-5570

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Contact:  Bryan Combs
Monday, April 20, 2009

www.nass.usda.gov/ny

                         MARCH MILK PRODUCTION DOWN

New York dairy herds produced 1.04 billion pounds of milk during March
according to Stephen Ropel, Director of USDA’s National Agricultural
Statistics Service, New York Field office.  Milk cows and production per
cow declined from the previous year resulting in a 1.7 percent decrease in
milk production compared to March 2008.  The number of milk cows averaged
623,000 head, down 3,000 head from March of the previous year.  Milk per
cow averaged 1,670 pounds, down 20 pounds from the March 2008 rate.

Dairy farmers in the Empire State received an average of $11.20 per
hundredweight of milk sold during March, down $1.00 from February and $6.80
below March a year ago.

Milk production in the 23 major States during March totaled 15.2 billion
pounds, down 0.2 percent from March 2008. February revised production at
13.6 billion pounds, was down 2.7 percent from February 2008. The February
revision represented a decrease of 23 million pounds or 0.2 percent from
last month's preliminary production estimate.

Production per cow in the 23 major States averaged 1,788 pounds for March,
6 pounds below March 2008.  The number of milk cows on farms in the 23
major States was 8.48 million head, 15,000 head more than March 2008, but
4,000 head less than February 2009.

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4-20-09