By Stu Johnson
Richmond, KY – Kentucky consumers are benefiting from a recent drop in milk prices. However, that trend creates tough times for the Commonwealth's dairy producers. University of Kentucky extension livestock and forage economist, Kenny Burdine says national milk prices have fallen 50 cents a gallon on average from January to April. He says some Kentucky dairy producers are looking to reduce their herd numbers.
With dairy herd numbers where they are at and in my opinion with a continuing decrease in dairy cow numbers that you know when the economy does rebound supply should be fairly tight which should mean good news for producers when the economy does rebound.
Burdine says Kentucky's number of dairy cows has fallen substantially since the 1980's, going from about a quarter million cows to about 86 thousand today.