Consolidation is happening throughout the animal health industry. Hoard’s team provides a series of articles that project a picture increasing cow numbers on fewer farms. While market conditions are a primary factor, attrition due to dairy farmers’ age, absence of succession options and carrying costs also contribute to this trend.
Source: Hoard’s Dairyman.
- Dairy farm numbers slide 6.8 percent, March 18, 2019. Link.
- U.S. dairy 2018 statistics, March 25, 2019, page 183.
- NOTE: A link to this information is not available. The article shows statistics by region, by state for 2013 through 2018. For example:
How much things have changed:
Year Number of Total cows Average lbs. Average
licensed dairies (millions) milk per cow herd size
1998 91,508 9.154 17,189 100
2008 57,127 9.315 20,395 163
2018 37,468 9.399 23,149 251
- 4 million cows could be the new norm, March 25, 2019. Link.
Also see: Will the dairy industry follow swine industry maturation?, Animal Health Digest, March 19, 2019. Link.