Gitnux/Report 2026

Cow Industry Statistics

297Statistics
80Sources
12Sections
1Visuals
49mRead
Cow Industry Statistics
Samuel NorbergWritten by Samuel Norberg·Fact-checked by Maya Johansson
Published
How this report is researched
01Editorial Scope

An editor sets the topic, the inclusion criteria, and the evaluation framework before research starts.

02Source Research

AI search agents locate sources and extract each figure together with the document it came from.

Read our full methodology →

Search agents attach provenance to every extracted figure.

Next review: within 31 days

01 Industry overview

The cow industry at a glance

The cattle industry remains supply-constrained: the U.S. had 86.2 million cattle and calves on January 1, 2026, while global cattle-milk production reached 797 million tonnes in 2024.

86.2M head[73]
U.S. cattle inventory, 2026
27.6M head[73]
U.S. beef cows, 2026
797M tonnes[66]
Global cattle milk, 2024
4.89%[74]
Global beef market CAGR, 2026–2034
Market size
The global beef market was valued at $465.22 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach $485.60 billion in 2026. Separately, global milk production totaled 985 million tonnes in 2024, including 797 million tonnes of cattle milk.[74][66]
Forecast & CAGR
The global beef market is projected to grow from $485.60 billion in 2026 to $711.62 billion in 2034, representing a 4.89% compound annual growth rate. USDA forecasts the U.S. fourth-quarter 2026 slaughter-steer price at $225.00 per hundredweight and the 2027 price at $237.50.[74][3]
Market share & regions
The Asia and Americas regions are identified by FAO as the leading producing regions for cattle meat. In the U.S. cattle supply chain, Mexico supplied about 62% of U.S. cattle imports during 2020–2024, with most imports consisting of lighter-weight feeder cattle.[66][3]
Segmentation
U.S. cattle inventories are segmented into beef cows, milk cows, calves, cattle on feed, replacement heifers and other steers and heifers. On January 1, 2026, the United States had 27.6 million beef cows, 9.57 million milk cows, a 32.9 million head calf crop and 13.8 million cattle on feed.[73]
Pricing
The USDA reported a September 2026 weighted-average price of $347.69 per hundredweight for 750–800-pound feeder steers at Oklahoma City National Stockyards. The fourth-quarter 2026 forecast was $343.00 per hundredweight, while the October 2026 slaughter-steer forecast was $225.00 per hundredweight.[3]
Trends, drivers & challenges
Tight inventories are supporting cattle prices, but the U.S. herd has contracted for seven consecutive years and the 2026 calf crop fell 2% to 32.9 million head. Disease and biosecurity remain material risks: USDA continues surveillance for H5N1 in dairy cattle and New World screwworm along the southern livestock trade corridor.[3][73][75]
Consumer behavior & competition
U.S. consumer prices reflect constrained cattle supplies: the average price of ground beef rose from $4.39 per pound in July 2021 to $6.89 in July 2026, an increase of nearly 57%. Competition for cattle is also affected by imports, with Mexico providing about 62% of U.S. cattle imports from 2020 through 2024.[15][3]
Regulation
USDA requires lactating dairy cattle moving interstate from affected or provisionally unaffected states to receive a negative Influenza A test through an approved laboratory. USDA is also phasing in the reopening of southern cattle ports for Mexican imports, with inspections designed to detect New World screwworm.[76][75]
Latest news
As of November 11, 2026, USDA had announced phased reopening dates for several southern cattle ports, including Nogales, Arizona, on November 30, 2026. The agency’s current screwworm status page also recorded active bovine cases in Mexico during November 2026, keeping animal-health controls central to cattle trade.[76]

02 Ranking

Top 10 Companies in the Cow Industry

The leading companies in the cow industry, ranked on market impact, performance, momentum, innovation and brand popularity.

Updated November 11, 2026 · Next review December 11, 2026

Verdict

JBS leads Gitnux's 2026 cow ranking with an Overall score of 8.8, with JBS USA Beef reported record 2025 revenue of US$28 billion. Arla Foods is the highest-ranked dairy cooperative and processor at 8.7, backed by 11,000 European dairy farmers and 14.3 billion kg milk collected in 2025.

Ranked by Overall score · How we score ↓

Editor's top 3 picks

Where to start, by need.

  1. #1 Overall · Leader in beef Processing & Exports

    JBS

    NL

    Ranked #1 · 8.8 · Beef Processing & Exports

    Why we picked it: It reports record U.S. beef revenue, tying scale to a global beef and multiprotein producer.

    See in ranking ↓Visit jbs.com.br ↗

  2. Leader in dairy Cooperatives & Processing

    Arla Foods

    DK

    Ranked #2 · 8.7 · Dairy Cooperatives & Processing

    Why we picked it: Its farmer-owned cooperative model links milk collection at large scale to European dairy production.

    See in ranking ↓Visit arla.com ↗

  3. Leader in cattle Genetics & Breeding

    Genus

    GB

    Ranked #4 · 8.4 · Cattle Genetics & Breeding

    Why we picked it: It focuses on cattle genetics and breeding technology, using R&D intensity alongside high margin.

    See in ranking ↓Visit genusplc.com ↗

Pick 1 is the #1 company overall. Picks 2 and 3 are the highest-ranked companies in the top 5 that add a new segment.

Full ranking

Sort by
Top 10 companies in the cow industry, 2026 – Gitnux ranking
#CompanyOverall ↓Company snapshot
1

JBS

Beef Processing & Exports · NL

8.8
2

Arla Foods

Dairy Cooperatives & Processing · DK

8.7
3

Minerva Foods

Beef Processing & Exports · BR

8.6
4

Genus

Cattle Genetics & Breeding · GB

8.4
5

Yili Group

Dairy Consumer Brands · CN

8.2
6

Schreiber Foods

Global cheese and dairy ingredients · US

8.2
7

Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation

Indian cooperative dairy federation · IN

8.2
8

Fonterra

New Zealand dairy cooperative and ingredients · NZ

8.1
9

Danone

Global dairy, yogurt and nutrition products · FR

7.9
10

Tyson Foods

U.S. beef processing and branded protein · US

7.4

How we score

  • Impact (30%): scale and weight in the market (revenue, market share, employees, market position).
  • Performance (20%): recent revenue growth and operating margin; an analyst assessment where a company does not publish them.
  • Momentum (20%): growth trajectory and future potential.
  • Innovation (15%): R&D intensity and how technologically advanced the company is.

Popularity (brand search demand, 15%) counts toward Overall but is not published as a column. Overall leaves out what is not known.

Scale Scores are shown on a 7–10 scale with one decimal; bars start at 7.0.

Cadence Recalculated when new figures are published; next review December 11, 2026.

Independence. Rankings are editorially independent. Scores, ranks, picks and the verdict follow the method above; no company can pay to change them.

Cite this ranking

APA

Samuel Norberg. (2026, November 11). Top 10 companies in the cow industry. In Cow Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/cow-industry-statistics/#top-companies

report visual · Projection

Value of U.S. cattle and calf production

Value of U.S. cattle and calf production grew from $48.2B in 2019 to $83.1B in 2024.

$48.2B
Start
+11.51%
CAGR · 5y
$83.1B
Projected
20192024
source-verifieders.usda.gov2024

04 Statistics

Technology & Innovation

Adoption data shows both genetics and farm automation moving into larger shares: 6% of U.S. milk used robotic milking in 2021. EU and U.S. surveys also show rising digital and cloud usage.

AI in the cow industry

  • 633,880 artificial-insemination services were recorded for beef cattle in Ireland in 2024.[1]
  • 689,501 artificial-insemination services were recorded for dairy cattle in Ireland in 2024.[1]
  • 24.9% of Spanish livestock farms used AI-enabled automatic environmental control in 2022.[2]
  • 47.9% of Spanish livestock farms reported using some artificial-intelligence system in 2022.[2]
  • 21.0% of Spanish livestock farms used AI-enabled analysis of farm-generated data in 2022.[2]
  • 1,323,381 artificial-insemination services were recorded for dairy and beef cattle in Ireland in 2024.[1]

Automation in the cow industry

  • 46% of Irish dairy farms used a herd-management system in 2019.[2]
  • 16% of New Zealand dairy farms with more than 100 cows reported using cow wearables in 2023, up from 3% in 2018.[2]
  • 53% of Irish dairy farms used camera monitoring in barns in 2019.[2]
  • 88% of New Zealand rotary dairies had automated cup removers fitted at every milking bail in 2023.[2]
  • 6% of U.S. milk was produced using robotic milking systems in 2021, up from 4% in 2016.[3]
  • 73.4% of Spanish livestock farms reported at least one automated activity in 2022.[2]

Digital Transformation in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • Among EU food-manufacturing enterprises, 51.2% had very low digital intensity in 2023, down from 55.1% in 2021.[4]
  • Among EU food-manufacturing enterprises, 3.4% had very high digital intensity in 2023, compared with 2.1% in 2021.[4]
  • In the United States, 61% of farmers reported adopting digital agronomy technologies in 2024.[5]
  • Across the EU agri-food industrial ecosystem, 20% of companies had a concrete digital-transformation strategy in 2024.[4]
  • Among EU food-manufacturing enterprises, 15.4% had high digital intensity in 2023, compared with 13.0% in 2021.[4]

Technology Adoption in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across EU farms, 43% had internet access, 11% used farm-management information systems, and 7% used robotics in 2023.[2]
  • In Germany, 85.5% of surveyed farms used at least one digital technology in 2024–2025.[2]
  • Across EU farms with utilised agricultural area, about 18% used some form of precision-farming technology or practice in 2023.[2]
  • In Czechia, 30% of crop-production farmers used at least one precision-agriculture technology in 2023.[2]
  • In Chile, 12% of agricultural production units reported using a technological tool such as mobile applications, drones, or sensors in 2021.[2]
  • In Canada, 84% of field-crop operations used GPS equipment in 2021.[2]

Cloud Computing in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • Among EU large businesses, 78% purchased cloud-computing services in 2023, compared with 44% of SMEs.[6]
  • Across EU agri-food businesses, 26% used cloud computing in 2023.[4]
  • Across EU agri-food businesses, 37% used cloud computing in 2024, up from 26% in 2023.[4]
  • Across EU businesses, 45% purchased cloud-computing services in 2023.[6]

Big Data in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across EU agri-food businesses, 17% used big-data technologies in 2023.[4]
  • Across EU agri-food businesses, 13% used big-data technologies in 2024, compared with 17% in 2023.[4]
  • Across EU agri-food businesses, 307 startups focused on artificial intelligence and big data were formed between 2015 and 2023.[4]

05 Statistics

Data & Analytics

Data governance gaps appear alongside farm-automation economics: $6 per 20 kilograms cost reduction is tied to software-based real-time herd records. Survey results point to low readiness and failures linked to poor data quality.

Business intelligence in the cow industry

  • 88% of U.S. milk sales came from farms using milking parlors in 2021, up from 70% in 2000.[3]
  • 100 Irish dairy farms were monitored with hourly tank-volume equipment from late 2022 to early 2025 to improve slurry and soiled-water management.[7]
  • 45% of U.S. milk sales came from farms using computerized milking systems in 2021, up from 20% in 2000.[3]
  • 96% of U.S. milk sales came from farms using advanced breeding technologies in 2021, up from 76% in 2000.[3]
  • 2% of U.S. milk sales came from farms using bovine somatotropin in 2021, down from 35% in 2000.[3]
  • 52% of U.S. milk sales came from farms using computerized feed-delivery systems in 2021, up from 22% in 2000.[3]

Data analytics in the cow industry

  • $6 per 20 kilograms of production was the reported cost reduction associated with software-based real-time herd records and management.[8]
  • $0.12 per cow per day was the reported feed-cost reduction associated with sensor-enabled precision feeding.[8]
  • 15% was the reported medication reduction per head associated with Bluetooth-enabled cattle wearables.[8]
  • 393.7 kilotonnes of CO2-equivalent reductions were attributed to Teagasc interventions for Irish sheep, while beef interventions reduced 296.5 kilotonnes.[7]
  • 95%–97% was the estrus-detection success rate reported for biosensors in USDA’s connected livestock and dairy technologies material.[8]
  • $316 per infected cow per year was the estimated indirect cost avoidable through automated mastitis detection in USDA’s connected-technologies material.[8]

Data Quality in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • 49% of manufacturing respondents rated their operational data as having low AI readiness in 2024, meaning it was insufficiently labeled, contextualized, governed or accessible.[9]
  • 30% of manufacturing respondents identified poor-quality data as one of their top three challenges when working with AI-related data in 2024.[9]
  • 44% of manufacturers reported that AI projects had failed because of poor data quality in 2025, according to a survey of manufacturing organizations.[10]
  • 41% of manufacturers said they distrusted the data used for supply-chain operations in 2025, reflecting persistent data-quality concerns in production and procurement.[10]
  • 42% of manufacturers reported having a process to verify operational data accuracy or quality in 2025, indicating that most lacked a formal validation process.[9]

Data Governance in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • 61% of manufacturers reported having a corporate-wide governance plan, strategy or formal guidelines for how data is collected, organized, accessed and used in 2024.[9]
  • 69% of food and beverage companies still relied on spreadsheets and email for core operations in 2025, limiting standardized access and control of business data.[11]
  • 15% of manufacturers said their data strategy was entirely aligned with their overall business strategy in 2024, while 31% said it was very closely aligned.[9]
  • 40% of food and beverage professionals worldwide identified disconnected systems and data as their biggest barrier to moving faster in 2026.[11]
  • 61% of supply-management organizations reported having a dedicated data-governance function in 2024, while 90% agreed that data governance was necessary.[12]
  • 6% of food and beverage leaders reported fully integrated digital systems in 2025, despite 82% saying technology adoption was a strategic priority.[11]

KPIs in the cow industry

  • 102%–94% was the AHDB performing-well range for calves weaned as a percentage of cows and heifers put to the bull.[13]
  • 85%–70% was the AHDB performing-well range for cows and heifers calved during the first six weeks in suckler herds.[13]
  • 60%–45% was the AHDB performing-well range for suckler-herd efficiency.[13]
  • 95%–85% was the AHDB performing-well range for calves alive 24 hours after birth in suckler herds.[13]
  • 1.6–1.2 kilograms per day was the AHDB performing-well range for daily liveweight gain in weaned beef calves.[13]
  • £600–£650 per head was the AHDB performing-well full economic cost of production per suckler calf weaned.[13]

06 Statistics

Strategy & Growth

Company strategy and supply scaling are visible through revenue growth signals and expansion references. JBS Beef North America reported 12.9% revenue growth in 2024.

Growth in the cow industry

  • 12.9% was JBS Beef North America's revenue growth in 2024 compared with 2023.[14]
  • $86.2 billion was JBS revenue in 2025, according to the company's U.S. filing materials.[15]
  • 238.6 million cattle were reported in Brazil in 2023, a record herd level cited in reporting on expansion of the beef sector.[16]
  • 34% of Nestlé's dairy supply was sourced from regenerative-agriculture farmers in 2025, supporting its dairy-transition strategy.[17]
  • 14.6% was JBS consolidated revenue growth in 2024 compared with 2023.[14]

Differentiation in the cow industry

  • 2% to 3% was the estimated 2024 U.S. retail packaged-meat dollar share held by plant-based beef products.[18]
  • 11 billion litres of milk were processed annually by Saputo, whose portfolio includes cheese, milk powder, whey protein, lactoferrin and infant formula.[19]

Mergers and acquisitions in the cow industry

  • $321 million was the approximate valuation of Mantiqueira Brasil in JBS's 2025 stake acquisition.[20]
  • 2 cheese plants were acquired by Saputo when it entered the U.S. dairy market in 1988.[21]
  • 50% was JBS's acquired stake in Brazilian egg producer Mantiqueira Brasil in January 2025.[20]
  • C$1.7 billion was the approximate value of Saputo's 2019 acquisition of Dairy Crest's British dairy business.[21]
  • C$407 million was the reported purchase price for Saputo's acquisition of Dairyworld Foods in 2001.[21]

Strategic partnerships in the cow industry

  • 52% of formal dairy cow and buffalo milk production was covered by the Dairy Sustainability Framework in 2024.[22]
  • 29% of global milk production was covered by the Dairy Sustainability Framework in its 2024 reporting.[22]
  • June 2025 farmer votes supported the planned Arla-DMK Group merger, described as combining farmer communities across borders.[23]
  • 11 sustainability criteria were used by the Dairy Sustainability Framework to report progress across the dairy sector in 2024.[22]
  • $8 million was secured through the Lasso partnership for on-farm improvements in Midwest Dairy's 2025 report.[24]
  • 50% was the ownership share of Danone Saputo Dairy Australia, a joint venture listed in Saputo's corporate structure in 2025.[19]

07 Statistics

People & Workforce

Workforce practices vary, with recruitment and retention figures tracked across dairy systems. U.S. agriculture and food employers reported 35% offering remote-work arrangements in 2024.

Hiring in the cow industry

  • 50.9% of U.S. dairy farms checked references before hiring in 2019.[25]
  • 30.3% of U.S. dairy farms used social media for recruitment in 2019.[25]
  • 94.3% of U.S. dairy farms used word-of-mouth recruitment in 2019.[25]
  • 21.8% of U.S. dairy farms advertised vacancies in local newspapers in 2019.[25]
  • 48.6% of U.S. dairy farms verified past employment before hiring in 2019.[25]

Employee retention in the cow industry

  • 38.8% was the average employee turnover rate on surveyed U.S. dairy farms in 2019.[25]
  • 8% of people entering New Zealand’s dairy sector remained after seven years in the reported retention cohort.[26]
  • 23% of people entering New Zealand’s dairy sector remained after three years in the reported retention cohort.[26]
  • 11% of people entering New Zealand’s dairy sector remained after six years in the reported retention cohort.[26]
  • 14% of people entering New Zealand’s dairy sector remained after five years in the reported retention cohort.[26]

Remote Work in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across U.S. agriculture and food employers, 35% offered some type of remote-work arrangement in 2024, according to AgCareers’ industry hiring report.[27]
  • Across U.S. crop and animal production, 14.4% of workers worked remotely in 2021, compared with 14.7% in 2019 and 15.4% in 2020.[28]
  • Across U.S. agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, about 12% of workers worked remotely during October 2023–September 2024, including hybrid and fully remote work.[29]
  • Across U.S. accommodation and food services, 4.8% of workers worked remotely in 2021, up from 1.9% in 2019 and 5.3% in 2020.[28]

Hybrid Work in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • 35% of U.S. agriculture and food employers offered some type of remote-work arrangement in 2024.[27]
  • 44% of Australian FMCG and agribusiness professionals preferred part-time remote work in 2024.[30]
  • Among science-of-food professionals surveyed in 2024, 36% reported having no work-at-home days per week.[31]
  • Across employers discussed in a food-industry hybrid-work survey, about 90% had adopted some form of hybrid work, although the figure was not limited to agriculture and food production.[31]
  • Among science-of-food professionals surveyed globally in 2024, respondents averaged 2.1 work-at-home days per week.[31]

Upskilling in the cow industry

  • 78.2% of U.S. dairy farms used spoken-word or recorded messages to accommodate employees with limited literacy or education in 2019.[25]
  • 57.9% of U.S. dairy farms used training with visual materials for employees with limited literacy or education in 2019.[25]
  • Training was one of the four lowest-scoring employee-management areas on surveyed large U.S. dairy farms, with a mean score of 3.34 on the study scale.[32]
  • 61.6% of U.S. dairy farms used signs with visuals or pictures to accommodate employees with limited literacy or education in 2019.[25]
  • 80% of employees working directly with automatic milking robots reported no increased wages after the transition in a surveyed U.S. dairy sample.[33]

Employee Engagement in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • In the agriculture industry, employees averaged 7.68 out of 10 for engagement and an eNPS of +5 in CultureMonkey’s 2026 benchmark.[34]
  • Employees in manufacture, distribution and storage organizations scored 59.3% on leadership in People Insight’s global benchmark data.[35]
  • Employees in manufacture, distribution and storage organizations scored 60.9% on enablement in People Insight’s global benchmark data.[35]
  • At Europe Snacks, a multinational food manufacturer, employee engagement reached 79% across its international workforce and 88% in its UK business after a structured listening program.[35]
  • Manufacture, distribution and storage organizations recorded an average employee-engagement score of 72.9% in People Insight’s global benchmark data.[35]

DEI in the cow industry

  • 54% of women in the U.S. dairy survey reported asking for promotions, compared with 47% of men.[36]

08 Statistics

Customer & Sales

Demand is shaped by pricing and product attributes under constrained supply. U.S. ground beef prices rose from $4.39 per pound in July 2021 to $6.89 in July 2026.

Customer experience in the cow industry

  • 24.9% of Kansas consumers identified price as a major barrier to business-to-consumer beef purchasing, United States, 2020.[37]
  • 94.3% of Kansas business-to-consumer beef buyers had never experienced trouble or a complaint with their beef purchase in 2020, United States.[38]
  • 86% of U.S. consumers said they always or often consider taste when choosing a protein for home meals in 2024.[39]
  • 27% of U.S. consumers cited animal welfare as their primary concern about how cattle are raised in 2024.[39]
  • 41.7% of Kansas consumers identified product quantity as a major barrier to business-to-consumer beef purchasing, United States, 2020.[37]

Customer retention in the cow industry

  • 48% of U.S. dairy consumers who tried a new brand expanded their purchase portfolio to include both old and new brands, according to a 2018 survey.[5]
  • 59% of U.S. dairy consumers who switched brands during the COVID-19 period continued buying both the original and new brands, according to an October 2020 survey.[5]
  • 15% of U.S. dairy consumers who switched brands during the COVID-19 period migrated entirely to the new brand, according to an October 2020 survey.[5]
  • 28% of U.S. dairy consumers who switched brands during the COVID-19 period later returned to their original brand, according to an October 2020 survey.[5]
  • 24% of U.S. dairy consumers who tried a new brand fully switched to it, according to a 2018 survey.[5]

Customer acquisition in the cow industry

  • 43.9% of Kansas beef producers reported selling all of their beef directly to individual consumers in 2020.[40]
  • 73.0% of Kansas beef producers considered increasing sales to individual consumers very desirable in 2020.[40]
  • 25% of U.S. consumers reported trying a new dairy brand during the COVID-19 period, according to an October 2020 survey.[5]
  • 45% of U.S. millennial dairy consumers reported trying a new dairy brand during the previous 12 months, according to a 2018 survey.[5]
  • 87.1% of Kansas beef producers believed sales to individual consumers were the most profitable marketing channel in 2020.[40]

Customer loyalty in the cow industry

  • 73% of U.S. dairy consumers who tried a new brand during the COVID-19 period either switched completely or continued buying both brands, according to an October 2020 survey.[5]
  • 45% of U.S. dairy shoppers said they were willing to switch to a less expensive brand when buying dairy products in 2024.[41]
  • 46% of surveyed dairy consumers were classified as brand promoters under the Net Promoter Score methodology in a 2021 study.[42]
  • 13% of U.S. consumers planned to purchase more budget-friendly ground beef in the future, according to 2024 consumer research.[39]
  • 54.3% of respondents selected Winkin Cow as their preferred dairy brand in a 2025 India study.[43]

Lead generation in the cow industry

  • 4.4 million impressions were generated by Dairy MAX’s gaming-focused digital dairy campaign in 2025.[44]
  • 13 million pounds of dairy products had been provided through Dairy MAX food-pantry partnerships by 2026.[44]
  • 96,000 dairy products were added to shoppers’ digital grocery lists or e-commerce carts during the 2024 June Dairy Month campaign.[45]
  • 1.8 million ad engagements were generated by Dairy MAX’s gaming-focused digital dairy campaign in 2025.[44]
  • 140 million digital impressions were delivered by Dairy MAX’s Better With Dairy campaign in its first year, United States, 2025.[44]

09 Statistics

Marketing & Brand

Brand and digital programs show measurable engagement and purchase intent signals. Dairy MAX delivered 140 million digital impressions in its first-year Better With Dairy campaign in 2025.

Marketing in the cow industry

  • 60% of U.S. consumers were drawn to recipes with appealing imagery in 2023 beef-related recipe research.[39]
  • 584% was the increase in list transactions for participating June Dairy Month brands during the 2024 campaign.[45]
  • 64% of beef consumers ranked price as the first or second most important purchase influence in a 2022 U.S. survey.[46]
  • 52% of U.S. consumers used recipes at least weekly in 2024, according to beef consumer research.[39]
  • 0.27% was the campaign action rate for the 2024 June Dairy Month digital grocery-list program.[45]

Digital marketing in the cow industry

  • 0.4307 was the reported correlation coefficient between digital-ad involvement and dairy sales in a 2025 study.[47]
  • 16.7% of surveyed dairy consumers expressed strong purchase intent after digital engagement, according to a 2025 study.[47]
  • 52.2% of surveyed dairy consumers identified health-benefit social-media campaigns as the most effective digital marketing approach, according to a 2025 study.[47]
  • 35.6% of surveyed dairy consumers identified YouTube as the most effective digital platform for dairy marketing, according to a 2025 study.[47]
  • 11.1% of surveyed dairy consumers identified email newsletters as the most effective digital marketing approach, according to a 2025 study.[47]

Branding in the cow industry

  • 64% of respondents in an Amul dairy-product study said brand awareness encouraged them to buy dairy products, India, 2022.[48]
  • 36.2% of respondents in a 2025 India dairy-brand study reported extreme likelihood of purchasing Winkin Cow products.[43]
  • 26.7% of respondents in a 2025 India dairy-brand study reported relative likelihood of purchasing Winkin Cow products.[43]
  • 93% was the brand-awareness rate for an established regional dairy brand in a 2026 Tennessee study.[49]
  • 43.8% of respondents in a 2025 India dairy-brand study reported purchasing Winkin Cow products weekly.[43]

Social media in the cow industry

  • 13% of U.S. consumers planned to purchase more budget-friendly ground beef in the future after beef-industry social and digital messaging, according to 2024 research.[39]
  • 378,000 website visits were generated by the Better With Dairy campaign during its first year of Gen Z outreach, United States, 2025.[44]
  • 140 million digital impressions were delivered by Dairy MAX’s Better With Dairy campaign across digital platforms in its first year, United States, 2025.[44]
  • 35.6% of surveyed dairy consumers identified YouTube as the most effective platform for dairy-product marketing, according to a 2025 study.[47]
  • 1.8 million social and digital ad engagements were generated by Dairy MAX’s gaming-focused dairy campaign in 2025.[44]

Influencer Marketing in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • Food and drink influencer posts achieved a 1.19% average engagement rate globally in 2023.[50]
  • 11.5 million influencer posts covered food and drink globally in 2023, according to Sprout Social’s benchmark dataset.[50]
  • Food and drink influencer content generated 42.7 billion engagements globally in 2023.[50]
  • Food and drink influencer content generated 392 billion impressions globally in 2023.[50]
  • Food and drink influencer content involved 78,800 profiles globally in 2023, based on Sprout Social’s benchmark dataset.[50]

10 Statistics

Operations & Execution

Execution focuses on herd performance and mechanization, with robotics visible in adoption rates and outcomes. U.S. dairy farms used robotic milking at 4% in 2021.

Process optimization in the cow industry

  • 10 percentage points was the increase in robotic-milking adoption among U.S. dairy farms with 150–499 cows between 2016 and 2021.[3]
  • 4% of U.S. dairy farms used robotic milking technologies in 2021.[3]
  • 13% higher average dairy net returns were associated with robotic milking or two or more precision technologies in the United States.[3]
  • 5% of U.S. dairy farms with more than 500 cows used robotic milking in 2016.[3]
  • 6% of U.S. milk was produced at operations using robotic milking in 2021.[3]

Operational efficiency in the cow industry

  • 20% is the excellent-performance threshold for herd replacement rate on United Kingdom block-calving dairy farms.[13]
  • 23–24 months is the excellent-performance range for age at first calving on United Kingdom all-year-round dairy farms.[13]
  • 90% of cows and heifers calved within the first six weeks in the excellent-performance category for United Kingdom block-calving dairy farms.[13]
  • 19 litres per day is the excellent-performance threshold for average daily lifetime yield on United Kingdom all-year-round dairy farms.[13]
  • 25% is the excellent-performance threshold for pregnancy rate on United Kingdom all-year-round dairy farms.[13]

Quality management in the cow industry

  • 17% of cows had somatic cell counts above 200,000 cells per millilitre in the United Kingdom NMR 500 herd median in 2019.[13]
  • 26 clinical mastitis cases per 100 cows in milk per year were recorded in the United Kingdom Sentinel herd median in 2018.[13]
  • 30 clinical mastitis cases per 100 cows in milk per year were recorded in the United Kingdom NMR 500 herd median in 2019.[13]
  • 7.83% of nationally graded U.S. steers and heifers received the Prime grade in the week ending June 11, 2022.[51]
  • 171,000 cells per millilitre was the United Kingdom NMR 500 median bulk-milk somatic cell count in 2019.[13]

Supply chain in the cow industry

  • 5 U.S. states accounted for more than 55% of national milk supply in 2025.[3]
  • More than 55% of U.S. milk was produced by California, Wisconsin, Idaho, Texas and New York in 2025.[3]
  • 86.56% was the average water content of U.S. farm milk in 2025.[3]
  • 9.12% was the average skim-solids content of U.S. farm milk in 2025.[3]
  • 22% of U.S. agricultural commodity cash receipts came from cattle production in 2024.[3]

Outsourcing / Offshoring in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • 2% of Canadian food and beverage companies outsourced production entirely to third-party manufacturers in 2020.[52]
  • 85% of Canadian food and beverage companies processed or manufactured products internally in 2020, while 13% both produced internally and outsourced production.[52]
  • About 12% of firms in the 11-country World Bank Firm-level Adoption of Technology sample outsourced at least one food-processing function, compared with about 18% in apparel.[53]
  • 49% of U.S. growers surveyed outsourced at least some farm work to third-party service providers in 2022, with spraying services the most commonly outsourced activity.[54]
  • 19% of surveyed Queensland food-processing businesses contracted work out in 2010, while 28% contracted work in and 15% did both.[55]

11 Statistics

Finance & Pricing

Cost and income measures track a constrained market environment. USDA forecasts average U.S. net cash farm income of $50,300 per cattle-and-calf farm in 2026.

Pricing strategy in the cow industry

  • $27.34 per hundredweight was Wisconsin’s total gross production value in 2022.[56]
  • $19.47 per hundredweight was Wisconsin’s milk-sold value on dairy farms in 2023.[56]
  • $1.54 per hundredweight was the U.S. cattle-income component of dairy-farm gross production value in 2023.[56]
  • $22.70 per hundredweight was total gross production value for U.S. dairy farms in 2023.[56]
  • $25.18 per hundredweight was the U.S. milk-sold value on dairy farms in 2023.[56]

Cost reduction in the cow industry

  • 40% was the increase in Argentina’s dairy production costs between 2019 and 2024.[13]
  • $17.47 per hundredweight was total operating cost for U.S. dairy farms in 2023.[56]
  • 23–27.5 pence per litre was the excellent-performance full economic cost range for United Kingdom all-year-round dairy farms.[13]
  • $14.77 per hundredweight was total feed cost for U.S. dairy farms in 2023.[56]
  • $9.11 per hundredweight was total allocated overhead for U.S. dairy farms in 2023.[56]

Profitability in the cow industry

  • 21% was the return on tenants’ capital reported for the AHDB strategic farm in March 2020–21.[13]
  • 12% was the forecast decline in average U.S. dairy-farm net cash income from 2025 to 2026.[3]
  • $50,300 was forecast average net cash farm income per U.S. cattle-and-calf farm in 2026.[3]
  • 13% higher average net returns were associated with robotic milking or two or more precision technologies on U.S. dairy farms.[3]
  • $477,500 was forecast average net cash farm income per U.S. dairy farm in 2026.[3]

Financial planning in the cow industry

  • 20% was the lower boundary of the excellent-performance return-on-tenants’ capital range for United Kingdom all-year-round dairy farms.[13]
  • 7.1% was the forecast nominal increase in average U.S. farm-business net cash income from 2025 to 2026.[3]
  • $121,700 was forecast average net cash farm income for U.S. farm businesses in 2026.[3]
  • 12 pence per litre was the upper cost threshold in the review-performance category for purchased feed on selected United Kingdom all-year-round dairy farms producing 9,000–11,000 litres.[13]
  • 6–7.5 pence per litre was the excellent-performance purchased-feed-cost range for selected United Kingdom all-year-round dairy farms producing 9,000 litres.[13]

12 Statistics

Product & Service

Equipment and traceability claims align with adoption and consumer interest metrics. U.S. consumers reported interest in traceability technologies, with 44% wanting more information in 2024.

Product development in the cow industry

  • 19% of Lactalis revenue came from ultra-fresh dairy products in 2025.[57]
  • $10 billion was Almarai’s GCC dairy revenue in 2024, when it launched ice cream and new products including Mini Bites and Double Sandwich.[58]
  • 18% of Lactalis revenue came from milk products in 2025, alongside cheese, ultra-fresh products and other dairy categories.[57]
  • 37% of Lactalis revenue came from cheese in 2025, making it the company’s largest product category.[57]
  • 6% was Almarai’s GCC dairy revenue growth in 2024, supported by category innovation and new product launches.[58]

Product lifecycle in the cow industry

  • 23–24.5 months was the performing-well age at first calving for suckler cows in the AHDB KPI framework.[13]
  • 63% was the decline in licensed U.S. dairy herds from 66,825 in 2004 to 24,811 in 2024.[3]
  • 14–16% was the performing-well herd replacement rate for suckler herds in the AHDB KPI framework.[13]
  • 8 years was the approximate age after which cow productivity declines and replacement with heifers may become appropriate, according to AHDB guidance.[13]
  • 4–6 weeks was the stated shortening of cattle finishing time associated with Bluetooth-enabled animal wearables in USDA’s connected-technologies example.[8]

After-sales in the cow industry

  • 3.83 out of 5 was the highest mean score for dairy-processing equipment meeting customer expectations in the 2025 Kenyan study.[59]
  • 35% of Missouri dairy respondents rated dairy-equipment sales and service as okay in their area.[60]
  • 3.75 out of 5 was the mean rating for the value of equipment suppliers’ after-sales services among 144 dairy-processing respondents in Kenya in 2025.[59]
  • 16% of Missouri dairy respondents rated dairy-equipment sales and service as excellent in their area.[60]
  • 7% of Missouri dairy respondents regarded dairy-equipment sales and service as a big problem in their area.[60]

Value proposition in the cow industry

  • $0.10–$1.00 per pound was the additional amount U.S. consumers said they were willing to pay for transparent or traceable meat and seafood claims in 2024.[61]
  • 64% of U.S. consumers considered free-from claims, such as hormone-free or antibiotic-free, valuable for meat and seafood in 2024.[61]
  • 67% of U.S. consumers considered U.S.-raised or locally grown claims valuable for meat and seafood in 2024.[61]
  • 63% of U.S. consumers considered animal-welfare standards or care claims valuable for meat and seafood in 2024.[61]
  • 44% of U.S. consumers reported increased interest in receiving more information about meat and seafood through traceability technologies in 2024.[61]

13 Statistics

Sustainability & Ethics

Animal welfare verification and member-coverage metrics appear across major dairy sustainability programs. Dairy Sustainability Framework members covered 642,153 farms and 35.3 million cows and buffalo in 2025.

Sustainability in the cow industry

  • 82% of Danone’s dairy suppliers by volume were Sustainable Dairy Partnership members by the end of 2024.[62]
  • 273 billion litres of milk were produced by Dairy Sustainability Framework members in 2025.[22]
  • 642,153 farms and 35.3 million cows and buffalo were covered by Dairy Sustainability Framework members in 2025.[22]
  • 92% of McDonald’s beef was sourced from low-priority origins under its deforestation-free beef policy in 2025.[63]
  • 52% of the world’s formal dairy cow and buffalo milk production was represented by Dairy Sustainability Framework members in 2025.[22]

ESG in the cow industry

  • 91% of Danone’s fresh milk volumes worldwide were assessed for dairy-cow animal welfare in 2024.[62]
  • 100% of Saputo’s direct suppliers were verified to meet animal-welfare standards in fiscal 2025.[64]
  • 84% of Danone’s fresh milk volumes worldwide were assessed for dairy-cow animal welfare in 2022.[62]
  • 38% of Dairy Sustainability Framework member farms had implemented the required Animal Health and Welfare Plan in 2025.[22]
  • 39,322 people were reached through Saputo animal-welfare training and partnerships in fiscal 2025.[64]

Ethics in the cow industry

  • 1 case of animal cruelty resulting in suspension of supply was reported by Saputo in fiscal 2025.[64]
  • 100% of Saputo’s direct dairy suppliers were verified to meet animal-welfare standards in fiscal 2025.[64]
  • 66% of Kraft Heinz’s dairy-cattle supply exhibited accepted species-specific mobility parameters in 2023.[65]
  • 5.13% was Kraft Heinz’s average dairy-cattle mortality rate in 2023.[65]
  • 0.88 hours was Kraft Heinz’s average dairy-cattle transportation time in 2023.[65]

CSR in the cow industry

  • 28,829 people were impacted by Saputo animal-welfare training and partnerships in fiscal 2024.[64]
  • 39,322 people were impacted by Saputo animal-welfare training and partnerships in fiscal 2025.[64]
  • 19.7% of Danone’s key-ingredient volume came from farms that had started transitioning toward regenerative agriculture in 2021.[62]
  • 38,252 people were impacted by Saputo animal-welfare training and partnerships in fiscal 2021.[64]
  • 31,115 people were impacted by Saputo animal-welfare training and partnerships in fiscal 2022.[64]

Circular economy in the cow industry

  • Cattle provide 81% of global milk production according to FAO’s 2025 livestock assessment.[66]
  • 40% of global agricultural GDP, equivalent to about 1.8 trillion dollars, was attributed to the livestock sector in 2025.[66]
  • 3% of eggs, 12% of milk and dairy products, and 15% of meat were traded across international borders according to FAO’s 2025 livestock assessment.[66]
  • 52% of formal dairy cow and buffalo milk production was represented by Dairy Sustainability Framework members in 2025.[22]
  • 67% of total protein from the global cattle sector came from milk in the FAO assessment.[66]

Carbon footprint in the cow industry

  • 46.2 kilograms of CO2-equivalent per kilogram of carcass weight was the global average beef emission intensity.[66]
  • 65% of livestock-sector emissions, or about 4.6 gigatonnes of CO2-equivalent, came from cattle in the FAO assessment.[66]
  • 21.5 kilograms of CO2-equivalent per kilogram of product was the U.S. beef-production emission intensity in the USDA assessment.[66]
  • 2.8 kilograms of CO2-equivalent per kilogram of fat- and protein-corrected milk was the global average cow-milk emission intensity.[66]
  • 1.5% of total U.S. greenhouse-gas emissions came from the dairy sector in the USDA assessment.[66]

15 Statistics

Globalization & Expansion

Global herd and trade concentration shows where supply is held and how exports may flow. China held 104 million cattle in 2024, while Brazil held 193 million.

Globalization in the cow industry

  • 104 million cattle were held in China in 2024.[71]
  • Nearly 70% of global milk exports are projected to come jointly from New Zealand, the European Union and the United States during 2025–2034.[2]
  • 193 million cattle were held in Brazil in 2024.[71]
  • 27.3 million tonnes of milk equivalent were exported by the EU27 in 2024.[71]
  • 13.2 million tonnes of milk equivalent were exported by the United States in 2024.[71]

Supplier management in the cow industry

  • 34% of Nestlé's dairy supply came from farmers implementing regenerative agriculture in 2025.[17]
  • 10 beef production facilities were supplied by JBS USA Beef's cattle procurement network in 2021.[72]
  • $12.5 billion was paid by JBS USA Beef to cattle suppliers in the United States and Canada in 2021.[72]
  • Approximately 31,100 family farms and ranches supplied JBS USA Beef in the United States and Canada in 2021.[72]
  • More than 7 million cattle were purchased by JBS USA Beef in 2021 from suppliers in the United States and Canada.[72]

Stakeholder management in the cow industry

  • 19,400 employees worked for Saputo as of March 31, 2025.[19]
  • 1,400 Saputo employees were based in the United Kingdom as of March 31, 2025.[19]
  • 6,100 Saputo employees were based in Canada as of March 31, 2025.[19]
  • 53 workers were rescued from seven ranches supplying JBS in a Brazilian labor investigation covering 2014–2025.[15]
  • 25.7% of JBS net revenue represented export sales during the nine months ended September 30, 2024.[14]

Distribution channels in the cow industry

  • $21.105 billion was Tyson Foods' total external beef sales in fiscal 2025.[14]
  • $5.786 billion of Tyson Foods' 2025 beef sales came through foodservice customers.[14]
  • $10.92 billion of Tyson Foods' 2025 beef sales came through retail customers.[14]
  • $5.215 billion of Tyson Foods' 2024 beef sales came through foodservice customers.[14]
  • $2.15 billion of Tyson Foods' 2025 beef sales came through industrial and other channels.[14]

Key questions about the cow industry

What is the current size of the global beef market in 2026?
The global beef market is projected to reach $485.60 billion in 2026.
How fast is the global beef market expected to grow from 2026 to 2034?
The global beef market is projected to grow from $485.60 billion in 2026 to $711.62 billion in 2034, a 4.89% compound annual growth rate.
Which companies lead the cow industry?
JBS leads Gitnux's 2026 cow ranking with an Overall score of 8.8, with JBS USA Beef reported record 2025 revenue of US$28 billion. Arla Foods is the highest-ranked dairy cooperative and processor at 8.7, backed by 11,000 European dairy farmers and 14.3 billion kg milk collected in 2025.
Which technology shifts are showing measurable adoption in the cow industry?
Robotic milking adoption is reflected by 6% of U.S. milk produced using robotic milking in 2021, up from 4% in 2016. EU data also shows cloud-computing use rising from 26% in 2023 to 37% in 2024.
How constrained is cattle supply around 2026 in the U.S. and globally?
The U.S. had 86.2 million cattle and calves on January 1, 2026, while global cattle-milk production reached 797 million tonnes in 2024.
What are current price signals for cattle and feeder cattle in late 2026?
USDA forecast the fourth-quarter 2026 slaughter-steer price at $343.00 per hundredweight, and the October 2026 slaughter-steer forecast at $225.00 per hundredweight.
Reference

Cite This Report

This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.

APA
Samuel Norberg. (2026, November 11). Cow Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/cow-industry-statistics
MLA
Samuel Norberg. "Cow Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 11 Nov 2026, https://gitnux.org/cow-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Samuel Norberg. 2026. "Cow Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/cow-industry-statistics.

Sources & references

80 sources cited across this report

  1. icbf.com
  2. oecd.org
  3. ers.usda.gov
  4. monitor-industrial-ecosystems.ec.europa.eu
  5. mckinsey.com
  6. ec.europa.eu
  7. teagasc.ie
  8. usda.gov
  9. manufacturingleadershipcouncil.com
  10. dnb.com
  11. tracegains.com
  12. utah.ismworld.org
  13. ahdb.org.uk
  14. sec.gov
  15. apnews.com
  16. lemonde.fr
  17. nestle.com
  18. gfi.org
  19. scalca.blob.core.windows.net
  20. axios.com
  21. in.marketscreener.com
  22. dairysustainabilityframework.org
  23. arla.com
  24. midwestdairy.com
  25. nationaldairyfarm.com
  26. dairynz.co.nz
  27. m.agcareers.com
  28. bls.gov
  29. govinfo.gov
  30. 3ppartners.com
  31. ift.org
  32. journalofdairyscience.org
  33. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  34. culturemonkey.io
  35. peopleinsight.co.uk
  36. idfa.org
  37. hhs.k-state.edu
  38. doi.org
  39. beefboard.org
  40. k-state.edu
  41. dairyreporter.com
  42. researchgate.net
  43. sfimar.org
  44. dairymax.org
  45. nfraweb.org
  46. theshelbyreport.com
  47. abacademies.org
  48. pt.scribd.com
  49. sciencedirect.com
  50. media.sproutsocial.com
  51. esmis.nal.usda.gov
  52. fpsc-ctac.com
  53. documents1.worldbank.org
  54. 1557649.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net
  55. business.qld.gov.au
  56. nass.usda.gov
  57. lactalis-rse.fr.digital-report.net
  58. almmedia.almarai.com
  59. su-plus.strathmore.edu
  60. extension.missouri.edu
  61. merck-animal-health-usa.com
  62. danone.com
  63. corporate.mcdonalds.com
  64. uk.marketscreener.com
  65. scribd.com
  66. fao.org
  67. wtwco.com
  68. foodandag-isac.org
  69. publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu
  70. afgc.org.au
  71. idele.fr
  72. sustainability.jbsfoodsgroup.com
  73. data.nass.usda.gov
  74. fortunebusinessinsights.com
  75. direct.aphis.usda.gov
  76. aphis.usda.gov
  77. mediaroom.jbs.com.br
  78. yili.com
  79. fonterra.com
  80. provisioneronline.com