US milk production reached 19.9 billion pounds in August

American farms produced 19.9 billion pounds of milk in August 2026, according to Dairy Herd Management. The total was 1.7% above the level recorded in August 2025. The national dairy herd reached 9.71 million cows, an increase of 167,000 from a year earlier.

Average output per cow fell by one pound to 2,049 pounds. The combination of a larger herd and slightly lower individual productivity meant that the increase in national supply came from additional animals rather than higher yield per cow.

Kansas recorded the sharpest expansion among the states listed. Its dairy herd increased by 29,000 head, while milk production rose 13.9%. Texas produced 1.61 billion pounds after a 5.1% annual increase. Output also grew in South Dakota, Oregon and Indiana, by 8.4%, 7.7% and 4.8%, respectively.

California remained the largest producing state, with 3.39 billion pounds in August. Its herd fell by 1,000 cows. Utah and Arizona reported production declines of 3.6% and 3.1%, while Wisconsin added 20,000 cows. The source identifies water-access constraints and compliance requirements among the factors affecting California operations.

Commercial dairy-cattle inventories have reached their highest levels since the early 1990s. Higher replacement values and returns from beef-on-dairy crossbred calves encouraged producers to retain some marginal cows for longer. Newly opened large dairies in the Plains states are still adjusting feed programmes, herd genetics and barn operations, according to the source.

Investment in cheese plants and other dairy-processing facilities is increasingly concentrated in the Central Plains. The source cites feed-grain access, available acreage and environmental permitting as factors affecting future plant utilisation and milk-balancing costs. As production shifts towards the Midwest and Southern Plains, the sector’s exposure to overseas demand for skimmed-milk powder, cheese and whey products is increasing.