News
Why SD milk production very strong
A recent USDA report shows South Dakota’s 2021 milk production was up 20% from 2020.
Tom Peterson with the South Dakota Dairy Producers says it’s the culmination of decades of work by the South Dakota dairy industry when cow numbers hit an all time low in the early 2000s.
“Stakeholders came together with a plan called the ‘South Dakota Dairy Drive’ and the team of industry consisting of processors, dairy farmers, dairy associations, financial and university faculty and really tried to develop a movement to revitalize South Dakota’s dairy industry.”
Peterson says cow numbers have steadily been growing higher, “We were fortunate with some significant expansions on the processor level and then very willing farmers to either expand their South Dakota dairy farms or come in new to South Dakota and fill that capacity.”
South Dakota production continues to be much higher than other regions. The bulk of South Dakota milk goes into cheese.
