WASHINGTON, D.C. (RFD NEWS) — U.S. milk production increased in 2025, but lower prices pulled cash receipts and producer returns below the previous year. USDA’s annual summary said the industry produced more milk with more cows and better output per cow, even as revenue weakened.
Milk production totaled 232 billion pounds in 2025, up 2.6 percent from 2024. Production per cow averaged 24,390 pounds, up 218 pounds, while the average number of milk cows on farms rose by 153,000 head to 9.50 million.
Marketings also moved higher. USDA said milk marketings reached 231 billion pounds, up 2.6 percent from the year before. That means more milk was moving into commercial channels even as price pressure built on the income side.
Cash receipts from milk marketings totaled $48.9 billion, down 3.7 percent from 2024. Producer returns averaged $21.19 per hundredweight, which was 6.1 percent below the previous year.
The annual report leaves dairy producers with a mixed picture. Output and herd size expanded, but weaker prices kept income from rising with production.
Farm-Level Takeaway: Dairy producers made more milk in 2025, but softer prices trimmed returns and cash receipts.
Tony St. James, RFD News Markets Specialist
Tara Vander Dussen, fifth-generation dairy farmer, environmental scientist, and co-host of Discover Ag, joined RFD-TV to talk about her work in agriculture and her passion for sharing the story of dairy.
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