NEW ENGLAND — Milk production in the New England states declined 2.1 percent in 2018, according to King Whetstone, Regional Director of the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, Northeastern Regional Field Office.
Production decreased in Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont; while it increased in Connecticut, according to the “Annual Milk Production” report released by the USDA last week.
Vermont milk production during 2018 was 2.68 billion pounds, 1.8 percent below 2017, according to the report. Production per cow averaged 21,102 pounds for 2018, 53 pounds below 2017. The average number of milk cows on farms during 2018 was 127,000 head statewide, 2,000 head below 2017.
The Green Mountain State led the region in milk production last year; Maine was a distant second with 618 million pounds, then Connecticut (427 million), New Hampshire (249 million), Massachusetts (202 million) and Rhode Island (11.7 million).
California was the nation’s largest milk producing state with 40.4 billion pounds in 2018. Wisconsin produced 15.6 billion, then Idaho (15.1 billion) and New York (14.9 billion). Vermont was the 20th-largest milk producing state.
For the complete “Milk Production” report, go online to bit.ly/2HvUSC2.