After a difficult number of years for many US dairy farmers, confidence looks to be restored in the US dairy sector, with milk production rising strongly so far this year.

In July, US milk production was up by 1.5%, or 120m litres, year on year to just under 8.2bn litres.

US resurgence

This brings US milk production for the first seven months of 2020 to a cumulative 57.3bn litres, which is 1.8%, or almost 1bn litres, ahead of the same period last year.

The resurgence in US milk production this year follows a number of difficult years for US dairy farmers where milk prices were very weak and many farmers were forced out of business.

However, record cheese prices in the US over recent months, coupled with buoyant consumer demand for dairy in supermarkets, has seen US milk prices rebound to a relatively strong level in 2020.

California

This strengthening of milk prices has seen a noticeable uplift in US milk production in the key dairy-producing states.

Milk production in California was up 0.5% to 3.4bn litres for July, while, in Wisconsin, supplies were up 0.6% to 2.6bn litres.

US milk production is on track to produce close to 100bn litres of milk in 2020

However, it is states such as Texas and Idaho where the surge in milk collections is most prominent.

Texas milk production was up more than 4% in July to 1.2bn litres, while, in Idaho, milk supplies are up more than 2% to 1.4bn litres.

Michigan milk production was up 3% to just under 1bn litres for July, while, in New York, one of the traditional dairy states of the US, July milk collections were up 2% to 1.3bn litres.

At the current rate of growth, US milk production is on track to produce close to 100bn litres of milk in 2020.