We recently released the results of the 2020 Dairy Producer Survey. The purpose of the study, in conjunction with the Pennsylvania State University Smeal College of Business, was to evaluate current demographics and trends within the Pennsylvania dairy farm community as well as study the impacts the COVID-19 pandemic may have had on the dairy farm community.
View an in-depth report of our findings, and listen to a recording from today’s webinar to learn more about key data trends. Make sure you subscribe to our YouTube channel while you’re there.
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Key Lessons:
- While 91% of dairy farmers ranked decreasing cost of production as somewhat or very important, only 29% actually calculate it. What can the dairy industry do to increase the number of dairy farmers who know their cost of production?
- Risk management is one way to decrease market volatility, yet it is not widely used.
- Investment in conservation, labor, and animal welfare practices is crucial for PA farmers to deal with any crisis in the future.
- Customized programs are needed for two vulnerable groups (small and women farmers). 66% of the farmers who indicated that they discontinue milk production had a herd size of 100 or fewer cows, while nearly half were women-operated.
Data Trends:
- The average primary operator was born in 1966 and average age is 54 years. Women accounted for 5% of the primary operators.
- The average herd size was 136 cows producing 65.8 pounds per day or 20,068 pounds per cow annually, assuming a 305-day lactation period per cow per year.
- The average respondent’s cows produce 561 pounds less milk than the 2019 state average of 20,629 pounds per cow and 3,323 pounds less than the 23,391 per cow national average.
- Dairies in business at the time of the survey reported that they derived 85% of their income from milk sales.
- Of 531 surveys providing answers to this question, only 22 answered that they were likely to exit the dairy business in the next three to six months.
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