State Statistics
Mississippi

2004 Dairy Statistics (Source: National Agricultural Statistics Service)
   Milk cows on farms: 27,000
   Average number of dairy farms licensed to sell milk: 250
   Annual average milk production per cow: 14,037 pounds
   Total milk produced: 379 million pounds

2003 Dairy Farming Summary (Courtesy: MSUcares)

Mississippi Dairy Industry Trends: At the end of 2003, there were 258 dairies in the state with an average production of 13,645 pounds of milk per cow per year and an average of 120 cows per herd. There were a total of 31,000 dairy cows in the state at the end of 2003. Most of the dairies in Mississippi are located in the southern portion of the state, primarily due to the ability of the south Mississippi producer to grow large quantities of ryegrass. Some of these producers can graze ryegrass seven to eight months of the year.

The January 2004 DHIA averages show an average production of 18,615 pounds of milk per cow per year and the average number of cows per herd on DHIA is 150. The highest rolling herd average for milk production of any herd on DHIA in Mississippi was 27,918 pounds. There are only 27% of the herds in Mississippi on DHIA, but this represents 34% of the cows and 46% of the total milk produced in the state. The difference in production of all cows versus cows on official tests indicates the need for significant improvement in management on Mississippi dairy farms.

The Future for the Mississippi Dairy Industry: Mississippi is a deficit producing state resulting in milk being imported from sources outside the state to meet market needs. Although the state is losing dairy producers, cow numbers and total production is not going down as rapidly as the number of herds. Dairy farms will continue to operate and exist in Mississippi, but fewer dairies will be milking more cows and using more sophisticated management techniques.

Several management challenges have been identified. Meeting the nutritional needs of dairy cattle appears to be the weakest area of management. There is a large difference in genetic potential and actual production and much of this difference can be attributed to deficiencies in nutritional management. Most of the forages produced in Mississippi are low quality, with the exception of ryegrass and corn silage. These forages must be adequately supplemented to provide a balanced ration. Other management problems on Mississippi dairy farms include high somatic cell counts, long calving interval, low usage of A. I. in replacement heifers, heat stress management and problems dealing with waste management regulations.

Mastitis is the most costly animal health problem facing Mississippi producers. The somatic cell count regulations have forced many producers to make management improvements in the area of mastitis prevention. Some marketing organizations are paying quality premiums, which offer some incentive to produce higher quality milk and reduce the incidence of mastitis.

Mississippi Agriculture at a Glance (Courtesy: MDAC)

2003 Estimates: generated $232 million in economic activity.
Approximately 258 Grade A dairy farms at the end of 2003.
There were two Grade A milk processing plants operating.

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