Cow numbers also increased by 59,000 from this time last year.

The largest percentage increase took place in Texas, where the production increase was a whopping 16.4%, with cow numbers up 10% (47,000 head).

New Mexico, where Glanbia and DFA (Dairy Farmers of America) are expanding their cheese manufacturing plant in Clovis, produced 9% more milk in March with an additional 16,000 cows.

There were also increases in the Midwest, with Wisconsin up by 1.5%, Minnesota by 1.9%, Iowa 2.3%, Michigan 3.5% and South Dakota by 3.7%.

Increase putting pressure on processors

However, in California milk production dropped by 2.9% with a fall in cow numbers of 12,000 head as well as a slight drop in milk per cow.

There were also declines in the northwest, with Idaho down 1% even though cow numbers there were up by 7,000. Washington State was down by 3.3% while Oregon was 4% lower.

These levels of regional increase are putting major pressure on milk processors where plants are offered more milk than can be handled. This is adding to the problems in Wisconsin where processors lost contracts to supply milk ingredients to Canada.

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