The U.S. could be facing a milk-cow shortage.
New data from CoBank show the number of cows able to produce milk has fallen to a 20-year low. Analysts predict that the trend will continue until a recovery period sometime in 2027, when more dairy facilities are expected to come online.
Record-high prices for beef calves, coupled with tight cattle supplies, have prompted many dairy producers to produce more calves for feedlots and fewer for milk barns.
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Co-Bank Lead Dairy Economist, Corey Geiger, joined us on Friday’s Market Day Report for a further look at the drop in replacement heifers and the trend’s longterm impact on dairy producers and cattle prices.
Betsy Jibben with Ag Market Consulting takes us behind the scenes on report day with AgMarket.net.
