The number of U.S. dairy farms is expected to fall below 20,000 by the end of the decade. Terrain Senior Dairy Analyst Ben Laine says the decline in farm numbers has not translated into lower milk production. “We’ve lost 100,000 farms since the ’90s, but we’re making more than 50 percent more milk in that time. We’re making much more milk with the cows that we have. It’s not a story of less milk. It’s fewer farms that are making more milk per cow.” Laine says consolidation has affected smaller and medium-sized dairy operations as producers pursue greater efficiency. He also sees economic benefits when a large dairy locates in a community. “There is a lot of additional business around that. It is a boon to the local economy in a lot of cases.”
