The American Jersey Cattle Association has announced that for the first time in history, it has recorded 100,000 animals in a single year.
The previous record for Jersey registrations—96,174 set in 2011—was broken early in the day on December 26, attesting to rapid expansion of the Jersey population across the United States and of producers recognizing the value of identified and performance tested Jersey cattle.
“This is a milestone for not only the association and its members, but also for the Jersey breed worldwide,” said Neal Smith, Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer.
“The smaller, more efficient Jersey cow is the solution to the challenges of profitability and sustainability confronting dairy herd owners, no matter how small or large their operations are,” he said. “Jerseys produce the most valuable components of milk—proteins and fat—with less feed, using less energy, water and land, and with a smaller total carbon footprint.
“And through November of this year,” the Jersey CEO continued, “Jersey milk was valued from $1.58 to $3.47 more per hundredweight than the statistical blend price of Federal Order and California markets tracked by National All-Jersey Inc.”