(NDAgConnection) – Milk production in the United States during the January – March quarter totaled 56.3 billion pounds, down 1.0 percent from the January – March quarter last year.

The average number of milk cows in the United States during the quarter was 9.38 million head, unchanged from the October – December quarter, but 85,000 head less than the same period last year.

For the month of March, California had the highest total production with about 3.74 billion pounds. South Dakota had the greatest percent-increase in output as that state produced 342 million pounds of milk–about 20 percent more from the same period last year.

Only seven of the top 24 states had higher year-to-year production last month.