Milk production in the U.S. was estimated to be down 0.6% in October 2003 compared to October 2002, based upon 1.4% fewer cows and 0.8% more milk production per cow.

Milk production in the top 20 states was down 0.2% in October 2003 compared to October 2002, based upon 0.9% fewer cows and a 0.7% increase in milk production per cow.

In Missouri, milk production was down 0.7% in October 2003 compared to October 2002 based upon 7.4% fewer cows, and an increase in milk production per cow of 7.1%.

If you stop to think about Missouri's recent evolution in the dairy industry, it is really incredible that we have lost 10,000 dairy cows in the last year, but only dropped total milk production 1 million pounds a month. Increases in milk production per cow are almost rapid enough to make up for all the lost production from those 10,000 dairy cows that exited the state. To put it another way, it is like those 10,000 cows that went out of production were only producing 100 pounds of milk a month, or 3 pounds per cow per day!