Each February, annualized cow numbers, milk production, and licensed dairy farms are included in the USDA Milk Production report. The following is a summary of some of the data found in that report. Total 2021 U.S. milk production grew by 1.3% compared to 2020 at 226.3 billion pounds. This was accomplished by both increased cow numbers and milk production per cow. The national dairy herd reached a multi-decade high of 9.448 million dairy cows. The 2021 dairy herd grew by 56,000 (+0.6%) head compared to 2020. Read More