Tag: U.S. Agriculture

By Colbank | The Fence Post The U.S. dairy industry is facing a potential shortage of its most important resource — milk cows. The number of replacement heifers available to enter the dairy herd as milk producing cows has already fallen to a 20-year low. Based on new CoBank research, replacements could fall even further over the next two years before a recovery begins in 2027. These declining heifer inventories could limit growth in the milk supply, a looming concern for dairy processors with expansion plans underway. The U.S. is currently experiencing an historic $10 billion investment in new dairy processing facilities expected to come online through 2027. The decline in dairy heifers over the last several years is closely tied to beef and dairy market dynamics. Tight cattle suppli...