Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) has finished all of the farm audits of its fourth herd retirement effort, resulting in the removal of 52,783 cows representing 1 billion pounds of milk.
In a report to CWT’s members, Chief Operating Officer Walt Wosje said 1,374 bids were submitted to CWT earlier this spring. Those farms were spread across 39 states, although most of the cows removed were in the western regions of the country.
Northeast: 118 million pounds of milk; 44 farms accepted; 12% of total milk reduction; 6,300 number of cows; $5.36 average bid
Southeast: 89 million pounds of milk; 61 farms accepted; 9% of total milk reduction; 5,583 number of cows; $4.66 average bid
Midwest: 99 million pounds of milk; 119 farms accepted; 10% of total milk reduction; 5,770 number of cows; $5.71 average bid
Southwest: 280 million pounds of milk; 56 farms accepted; 28% of total milk reduction; 14,519 number of cows; $5.73 average bid
West: 416 million pounds of milk; 53 farms accepted; 41% of total milk reduction; 20,611 number of cows; $5.79 average bid
TOTALS 1.00 billion pounds of milk; 333 farms accepted; 100% of total milk reduction; 52,783 number of cows; $5.50* average bid
* = Represents an average of all 333 bids, not just the mean obtained by adding the five regional averages.