nd-livestock

NEWS RELEASE                                        Milk Production
                                                   January 18, 2005

                North Dakota October-December Milk Production

North Dakota

Milk production for the October-December, 2004 quarter is estimated at 127
million pounds, down 4 million pounds from the same period for 2003,
according to the North Dakota Agricultural Statistics Service. Average milk
cows during the quarter, at 33,000 head, decreased 1,000 head from both the
same period for 2003 and the previous July-September, 2004, quarter. Milk
produced per cow during the October-December quarter was 3,860 pounds, down
from 3,865 pounds a year earlier and 3,950 pounds during the July-September
quarter.

United States

Milk production in the U.S. during the October-December quarter totaled
41.9 billion pounds, up 0.9 percent from the October-December quarter for
2003. Production per cow during the October-December quarter averaged 4,646
pounds, up from 4,609 pounds the same quarter for 2003. The average number
of milk cows in the U.S. during the quarter was 9.02 million head, 7,000
head more than the same period for 2003.

                    Milk Production: October - December
                     Milk Cows 2/          Milk Production 3/
                                                              Change
 State 1/          2003       2004      2003      2004     from 2003
 
                  - - 1,000 Head - -    - Million Pounds -   Percent
 North Dakota        34         33       131       127        -3.1
 California       1,696      1,741     8,695     9,130         5.0
 Minnesota          465        460     1,993     1,974        -1.0
 New York           661        647     2,871     2,826        -1.6
 Wisconsin        1,249      1,237     5,444     5,418        -0.5
 United States    9,011      9,018    41,532    41,895         0.9
 1/ Published are a few selected states from the National release. 
 2/ Includes dry cows, excludes heifers not yet fresh. 3/ Excludes milk
 sucked by calves.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
  David Knopf, Director
  North Dakota Agricultural Statistics Service
  NDSU, IACC Bldg., Room 448
  P.O. Box 3166
  Fargo, ND 58108-3166
  Telephone: (701) 239-5306
  E-Mail: nass-nd@nass.usda.gov
  Internet: http://www.nass.usda.gov/nd/