Fewer dairies quit milking last year

Relatively strong milk pricing in late 2007 and throughout the ensuing year encouraged many dairy producers to remain in business, so much so that only 3.4 percent or 2,003 dairy farms idled milk pumps last year. That represents the smallest percentage decline in dairy farm numbers and the lowest ever actual drop since milk permit tracking began in 1992. The 2,470 farms leaving the industry in 2005 was the second lowest actual drop in numbers and ties 2005 with the smallest percentage drop ever at 3.4.

Since 1992, the drop in licensed or so-called commercial dairy farms has been 74,382, from 131,509 to 57,127. That’s a drop of 57 percent during that time. The farms counted in this survey are those that have a permit to sell milk. This number differs from another USDA estimate . . . operations with milk cows. That total now is 67,000 and has declined 103,500 or 60.7 percent since 1992.

Among states with over 1,000 dairy operations in 2007, the largest percentage decline took place in Illinois (-9.4). That state lost 100 farms and now is under 1,000 permitted farms, leaving 12 states above that threshold. Kentucky (-5.4), Iowa (-5.2), Pennsylvania (-4.2), and Minnesota (-4.0) rounded out the largest decliners. Among 1,000-plus operation states, two states had small gains in farm numbers: Missouri 2.3 and Indiana 0.6 percent.