Size of the Dairy Industry: 2007

On the farm, 185.6 billion pounds (21.6 billion gallons) of milk was produced in the United States in 2007. The total number of cows was 9.158 million, with each cow producing about 20,267 pounds (2,357 gallons) of milk. The total dollar value of farm milk production in 2006 was $35.4 billion.

In 2007, the U.S. milk supply use by product was:

• Fluid Milk: 23% of the total milk supply went into these products: beverage milk, milk products, and cream and cream products
• Cheese: 40%
• Butter: 18%
• Frozen dairy products: 8%
• Used on farms where produced: 0.6%
• Other uses: 5%

* For 2007, these percentages were determined on a milkfat basis

Source: Dairy Facts, 2008 Edition