Gitnux/Report 2026

Dairy Farming Industry Statistics

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Dairy Farming Industry Statistics
Samuel NorbergWritten by Samuel Norberg·Fact-checked by Maya Johansson
Published
How this report is researched
01Editorial Scope

Gitnux editors write the brief first: the topic, the inclusion rules, and the frame for what belongs.

02Source Research

Agents search the published record and log every extracted figure back to the passage it came from.

Read our full methodology →

Search agents attach provenance to every extracted figure.

Next review: within 31 days

01 Industry overview

The dairy farming industry at a glance

U.S. dairy farming produced a record 232 billion pounds of milk in 2025, generating $48.9 billion in farm-level milk cash receipts despite lower producer prices.

232B lb[62]
Milk production, 2025
$48.9B[62]
Milk cash receipts, 2025
9.50M[62]
Average milk cows, 2025
55%+[6]
Top five states' milk share, 2025
Market size
U.S. dairy farming generated $48.9 billion in cash receipts from milk marketings in 2025. Milk production totaled 232 billion pounds, up 2.6% from 2024.[62]
Forecast & CAGR
The global dairy products and alternatives industry is forecast to grow at a 2.1% compound annual growth rate from 2025 to 2030, adding an estimated $77.0 billion in value. This broader market includes processed dairy products and dairy alternatives, not farm production alone.[18]
Market share & regions
California, Wisconsin, Idaho, Texas, and New York collectively produced more than 55% of U.S. milk in 2025. Production is concentrated in large western and upper-Midwestern dairy regions, with herd growth in 2025 led by Idaho, Texas, Kansas, South Dakota, Michigan, and New York.[6]
Segmentation
Dairy farming is segmented by farm scale, production system, breed, and end market. U.S. milk output is increasingly concentrated on larger farms, while products are directed toward fluid milk, cheese, butter, yogurt, and milk powders; Holsteins remain the dominant breed, with Jersey and crossbred cattle gaining importance for milk-fat and solids content.[6]
Key players & concentration
The U.S. industry is structurally consolidating: the number of licensed dairy herds fell from 26,245 in 2023 to 24,811 in 2024, while total production continued to rise. Producer-owned cooperatives remain important intermediaries, and the five leading milk-producing states accounted for more than 55% of 2025 output.[6][62]
Pricing
The 2025 U.S. producer return averaged $21.19 per hundredweight, down 6.1% from 2024, while milk cash receipts declined 3.7%. In August 2026, USDA-reported Federal Milk Marketing Order class prices were $18.71 per hundredweight for Class II, $16.64 for Class III, and $17.36 for Class IV.[62][59]
Trends, drivers & challenges
Productivity and scale are driving output growth: milk per cow reached about 24,390 pounds in 2025, while larger farms have generally achieved lower unit costs through technology and management improvements. Key challenges include feed and labor costs, volatile milk prices, limited replacement heifer inventories, disease risks, and continued farm consolidation.[62][6]
Consumer behavior & competition
U.S. consumer demand has shifted over time from fluid milk toward processed products such as cheese, yogurt, and butter. Competition also includes dairy alternatives, while dairy farms and processors compete through scale, productivity, product specialization, cooperative ownership, and access to expanding processing capacity.[63][6]
Regulation
U.S. dairy farms operate within Federal Milk Marketing Order pricing rules and USDA support programs, including Dairy Margin Coverage. The policy framework also covers milk pricing, disaster support, farm conservation, food safety, and producer risk management; GAO reported that USDA administered Dairy Margin Coverage benefits by farm size from 2019 through 2024.[63][64][59]
Latest news
USDA’s March 2026 dairy outlook described strong 2025 production growth, with the average U.S. dairy herd reaching almost 9.5 million cows and milk output rising roughly 2.8% year over year. By October 2026, USDA-linked market analysis reported a 2026 all-milk price forecast of $19.90 per hundredweight and continuing pressure on margins as milk prices lag feed costs.[6][65]

02 Ranking

Top 10 Companies in the Dairy Farming Industry

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

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

Verdict

Arla Foods leads Gitnux's 2026 dairy farming ranking with an Overall score of 9.1, with 14.3 billion kilograms of milk processed in 2025 for farmer owners. Schreiber Foods is the highest-ranked dairy ingredient manufacturer at 8.8, driven by making cheese, yogurt, beverages and dairy ingredients for global customers.

Ranked by Overall score · How we score ↓

Editor's top 3 picks

Where to start, by need.

  1. #1 Overall · Leader in milk processing

    Arla Foods

    DK

    Ranked #1 · 9.1 · Milk processing

    Why we picked it: It connects farm-owned milk collection to large-scale dairy processing, with 14.3 billion kilograms processed in 2025.

    See in ranking ↓Visit arla.com ↗

  2. Leader in dairy ingredient manufacturing

    Schreiber Foods

    US

    Ranked #2 · 8.8 · Dairy ingredient manufacturing

    Why we picked it: It focuses on dairy ingredient and consumer product manufacturing, including cheese, yogurt, beverages, and dairy ingredients.

    See in ranking ↓Visit schreiberfoods.com ↗

  3. Leader in cooperative dairy marketing

    Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation

    IN

    Ranked #3 · 8.7 · Cooperative dairy marketing

    Why we picked it: It operates through farmer cooperatives, marketing dairy products under the Amul brand for milk-producer cooperatives.

    See in ranking ↓Visit amul.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 dairy farming industry, 2026 – Gitnux ranking
#CompanyOverall ↓Company snapshot
1

Arla Foods

Milk processing · DK

9.1
2

Schreiber Foods

Dairy ingredient manufacturing · US

8.8
3

Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation

Cooperative dairy marketing · IN

8.7
4

Nestlé

Branded milk products · CH

8.7
5

Yili

Dairy nutrition brands · CN

8.7
6

Saputo

International dairy processing and branded products · CA

8.4
7

Dairy Farmers of America

Farmer-owned milk marketing and dairy processing · US

8.2
8

DMK Group

German farmer cooperative dairy processing · DE

8.1
9

Froneri

Global ice cream and dairy desserts · GB

7.9
10

Savencia

Specialty cheese and dairy products · FR

7.4

How we score

  • Impact (30%): scale and weight in the market (revenue, market share, employees, market position).

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 dairy farming industry. In Dairy Farming Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/dairy-farming-industry-statistics/#top-companies

report visual · Projection

Annual milk production per cow (United States)

Annual milk production per cow grew from 24K pounds per cow in 2020 to 24K pounds per cow in 2025.

23.8K pounds per cow
Start
+0.52%
CAGR · 5y
24.4K pounds per cow
Projected
20202025
source-verifiedesmis.nal.usda.gov2025

04 Statistics

Technology & Innovation

Adoption spans AI systems, precision tools, and automated milking. Survey results include 74% of large U.S. dairies using automatic feed pushers in 2024 and 6% of U.S. milk produced using robotic milking in 2021.

AI in the dairy farming industry

  • 47.9% of surveyed Spanish livestock and agricultural businesses reported using some AI system in 2022, including dairy-related livestock operations.[1]
  • 24.9% of surveyed Spanish agricultural and livestock businesses used AI-enabled automatic environmental control in 2022.[1]
  • 21.0% of surveyed Spanish agricultural and livestock businesses used AI to analyse farm-generated data in 2022.[1]
  • 27% of Northern Ireland dairy farms reported adopting AI-related technology, mainly precision-farming and machine-learning programs, in 2022.[2]

Automation in the dairy farming industry

  • 8.9% of Canadian dairy and milk-type farms reported using robotic milking in 2015.[3]
  • 16% of dairy farms in both the Netherlands and Luxembourg used robotic milking systems in 2023.[4]
  • 4% of French and 5% of German dairy farms used robotic milking systems in 2023.[4]
  • 74% of surveyed large U.S. dairies used automatic feed pushers in 2024.[5]
  • 6% of U.S. milk was produced using robotic milking systems in 2021, up from 4% in 2016.[6]
  • More than 35,000 dairy farms worldwide had installed robotic or automated milking systems by 2025.[7]

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

  • In the United States, 61% of farmers reported adopting digital agronomy technologies in 2024.[8]
  • Among EU food-manufacturing enterprises, 51.2% had very low digital intensity in 2023, down from 55.1% in 2021.[9]
  • Across the EU agri-food industrial ecosystem, 20% of companies had a concrete digital-transformation strategy in 2024.[9]
  • Among EU food-manufacturing enterprises, 3.4% had very high digital intensity in 2023, compared with 2.1% in 2021.[9]
  • Among EU food-manufacturing enterprises, 15.4% had high digital intensity in 2023, compared with 13.0% in 2021.[9]

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

  • Across EU farms with utilised agricultural area, about 18% used some form of precision-farming technology or practice in 2023.[1]
  • In Germany, 85.5% of surveyed farms used at least one digital technology in 2024–2025.[1]
  • Across EU farms, 43% had internet access, 11% used farm-management information systems, and 7% used robotics in 2023.[1]
  • In Canada, 84% of field-crop operations used GPS equipment in 2021.[1]
  • In Chile, 12% of agricultural production units reported using a technological tool such as mobile applications, drones, or sensors in 2021.[1]
  • In Czechia, 30% of crop-production farmers used at least one precision-agriculture technology in 2023.[1]

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

  • Across EU businesses, 45% purchased cloud-computing services in 2023.[10]
  • Across EU agri-food businesses, 37% used cloud computing in 2024, up from 26% in 2023.[9]
  • Among EU large businesses, 78% purchased cloud-computing services in 2023, compared with 44% of SMEs.[10]
  • Across EU agri-food businesses, 26% used cloud computing in 2023.[9]

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

  • In Germany, 5.0% of surveyed farms used artificial-intelligence or big-data technologies in 2024–2025.[1]
  • Across EU agri-food businesses, 17% used big-data technologies in 2023.[9]
  • Across EU agri-food businesses, 307 startups focused on artificial intelligence and big data were formed between 2015 and 2023.[9]
  • Across EU agri-food businesses, 13% used big-data technologies in 2024, compared with 17% in 2023.[9]

IoT in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • Among agri-food companies investing more than 30% of annual turnover in digital technologies, 5.41% prioritised Internet of Things technologies in 2024.[9]

05 Statistics

Data & Analytics

Data capture and governance show up as adoption bottlenecks. In 2026, 64.2% of surveyed U.S. dairy farmers used wearable data-collection technologies, while 44% of manufacturing AI projects failed due to poor data quality in 2025.

Business intelligence in the dairy farming industry

  • 53% of Irish dairy farmers used remedy-recording systems in 2019.[1]
  • 45% of New Zealand dairy farms recorded pasture data in software for analysis in 2023.[11]
  • 22% of New Zealand dairy farms used a rising-plate meter as their main pasture-cover measurement technology in 2023.[11]
  • 53% of Irish dairy farmers used camera monitoring in barns in 2019.[1]
  • 46% of Irish dairy farmers used herd-management systems in 2019.[1]
  • 18% of New Zealand dairy farms recorded grazed paddocks using a computer or application in 2023.[11]

Data analytics in the dairy farming industry

  • 64.2% of surveyed US dairy farmers actively used wearable data-collection technologies in 2026.[12]
  • 14.8% of surveyed US dairy farmers actively used milk-quality sensors in 2026.[12]
  • 40.7% of surveyed US dairy farmers actively used milk-yield meters in 2026.[12]
  • 70% of reviewed dairy-farming AI and data-analytics case studies used historical data.[13]
  • 25% of reviewed dairy-farming AI and data-analytics case studies used real-time data.[13]
  • 22.2% of surveyed US dairy farmers actively used electronic ear tags in 2026.[12]

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

  • 44% of manufacturers reported that AI projects had failed because of poor data quality in 2025, according to a survey of manufacturing organizations.[14]
  • 49% of manufacturing respondents rated their operational data as having low AI readiness in 2024, meaning it was insufficiently labeled, contextualized, governed or accessible.[15]
  • 30% of manufacturing respondents identified poor-quality data as one of their top three challenges when working with AI-related data in 2024.[15]
  • 42% of manufacturers reported having a process to verify operational data accuracy or quality in 2025, indicating that most lacked a formal validation process.[15]
  • 41% of manufacturers said they distrusted the data used for supply-chain operations in 2025, reflecting persistent data-quality concerns in production and procurement.[14]

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

  • 61% of supply-management organizations reported having a dedicated data-governance function in 2024, while 90% agreed that data governance was necessary.[16]
  • 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.[17]
  • 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.[15]
  • 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.[15]
  • 40% of food and beverage professionals worldwide identified disconnected systems and data as their biggest barrier to moving faster in 2026.[17]
  • 6% of food and beverage leaders reported fully integrated digital systems in 2025, despite 82% saying technology adoption was a strategic priority.[17]

KPIs in the dairy farming industry

  • 6.2% of surveyed US dairy farmers actively used body-condition monitoring in 2026.[12]
  • 3.7% of surveyed US dairy farmers actively used lameness-monitoring technologies in 2026.[12]

06 Statistics

Strategy & Growth

Growth is tied to processed demand and expanding product routes. The U.S. domestic disappearance grew at 0.78% CAGR on a skim-solids basis from 2014 to 2025, while cheese and butter demand expands.

Growth in the dairy farming industry

  • More than 350 products were included in Walmart’s bettergoods private-label food launch in 2024, including dairy and plant-based dairy.[18]
  • 161.8 million tonnes of raw milk were produced on EU farms in 2024, up 0.9 million tonnes from 2023.[10]
  • The U.S. dairy sector’s domestic disappearance grew at a 0.78% compound annual rate on a skim-solids basis from 2014 to 2025.[6]
  • 8,120 kilograms was the average annual milk yield per EU dairy cow in 2024.[10]
  • The U.S. dairy sector’s domestic disappearance grew at a 1.24% compound annual rate on a milk-fat basis from 2014 to 2025.[6]

Differentiation in the dairy farming industry

  • 10.8 million tonnes of cheese were produced from EU dairy milk in 2024.[10]
  • 52.9 million tonnes of whey were produced by EU dairies in 2024.[10]
  • €4.5 per 1,000 litres was the maximum environmental-performance premium available to French milk producers in the 2024 Savencia-Agrial program.[19]
  • 31% was the private-label value share of U.S. dairy products and alternatives in 2025.[18]
  • 22.4% of surveyed U.S. consumers reported purchasing local cheese, the highest local-dairy category measured in the 2026 study.[12]
  • 2.7 million tonnes of milk powder were produced by EU dairies in 2024.[10]

Mergers and acquisitions in the dairy farming industry

  • $240 million was Echo Lake Foods’ approximate 2024 revenue cited in a 2025 acquisition announcement by Cal-Maine Foods.[20]
  • 100-plus distribution facilities were operated by Prairie Farms Dairy when it acquired SmithFoods’ Orrville facilities in 2024.[21]
  • 1 billion litres of milk are covered annually by the Savencia-Agrial dairy partnership associated with the 2024 industry agreement.[19]
  • One billion litres of milk are collected annually from 1,300 producers under the Savencia-Agrial partnership announced in 2024.[19]
  • 260-plus employees were retained by Cornish Dairy Co. after joining the Ehrmann group in 2024.[22]
  • $4.69 billion or more was Prairie Farms Dairy’s annual sales after acquiring SmithFoods’ Orrville facilities in 2024.[21]

Strategic partnerships in the dairy farming industry

  • 100% of relevant Agrial cooperative farmer members are targeted for carbon-reduction action by the end of 2026.[19]
  • 2 companies, Starbucks and Clover Sonoma, joined the Dairy Methane Action Alliance in 2024.[23]
  • 7 companies launched the Dairy Methane Action Alliance at COP28 in 2023.[23]
  • 2 dairy-farmer cooperatives—Agri-Mark and Upstate Niagara—joined Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers in a 2024 strategic dairy-ingredients partnership.[24]
  • 3 companies—Agropur, Idaho Milk Products and Savencia—joined the Dairy Methane Action Alliance in 2025.[25]
  • 1,300 producers participate in the 2024 Savencia-Agrial partnership to reduce dairy-farm carbon emissions.[19]

07 Statistics

People & Workforce

Labor availability and retention remain constraints for operators. One-third of surveyed U.S. dairy farmers reported substantial difficulty securing skilled labor in 2019, and more than half reported difficulty retaining employees in 2019.

Hiring in the dairy farming industry

  • 2% of surveyed dairy farmers supported employee driver’s licenses as a labor-policy solution in 2026.[26]
  • One-third of surveyed U.S. dairy farmers reported substantial difficulty securing skilled labor in 2019.[27]
  • More than half of surveyed U.S. dairy farmers reported difficulty retaining employees in 2019.[27]
  • 53% of surveyed dairy farmers supported a year-round agricultural-worker visa in 2026.[26]

Employee retention in the dairy farming industry

  • 31% of DairyNZ survey respondents cited insufficient pay as a reason employees leave dairy in 2025.[28]
  • 28% of DairyNZ survey respondents cited poor management or team relationships as a reason employees leave dairy in 2025.[28]
  • 42% of a New Zealand dairy-sector starting cohort remained after one year in the reported retention series.[11]
  • 14% of the New Zealand dairy-sector starting cohort remained after five years in the reported retention series.[11]
  • 29% of the New Zealand dairy-sector starting cohort remained after two years in the reported retention series.[11]

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

  • 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.[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.[29]
  • Across U.S. agriculture and food employers, 35% offered some type of remote-work arrangement in 2024, according to AgCareers’ industry hiring report.[30]
  • 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.[31]

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

  • 84% of Australian agribusiness organisations planned no change to existing flexible or hybrid work arrangements in 2026.[32]
  • Among science-of-food professionals surveyed in 2024, 36% reported having no work-at-home days per week.[33]
  • 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.[33]
  • 21% of Australian FMCG and agribusiness professionals reported working fully remotely in 2024.[34]
  • 13% of Australian FMCG and agribusiness professionals preferred full-time on-site work in 2024.[34]

Upskilling in the dairy farming industry

  • Training was one of the four lowest-rated employee-management areas on 12 large U.S. dairy farms studied in 2018.[12]
  • 3.34 was the mean employee rating for training on surveyed large U.S. dairy farms, using the study’s Likert scale.[12]
  • Training was identified as a key issue requiring improvement for younger DairyNZ dairy employees in 2025.[28]

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

  • 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]
  • Manufacture, distribution and storage organizations recorded an average employee-engagement score of 72.9% in People Insight’s global benchmark data.[35]
  • In the agriculture industry, employees averaged 7.68 out of 10 for engagement and an eNPS of +5 in CultureMonkey’s 2026 benchmark.[36]
  • 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]

DEI in the dairy farming industry

  • More than one-third of people working on New Zealand dairy farms were women in 2022.[11]
  • 15% of people working on New Zealand dairy farms identified as Asian in 2022.[11]
  • 90% of sampled immigrant dairy farmworkers in New York State were men and 10% were women in the reported study.[37]
  • 1% of people working on New Zealand dairy farms identified as Pasifika in 2022.[11]

08 Statistics

Customer & Sales

Consumers drive mix shifts between fluid milk and processed dairy. In 2024, 67% of U.S. adults identified yogurt as a health-conscious dairy-aisle choice, supporting demand for yogurt and related formats.

Customer experience in the dairy farming industry

  • 74% of U.S. Gen Z adults often purchase unplanned items in the dairy aisle, according to a 2024 survey.[38]
  • 80% of U.S. dairy consumers must know or would like to know a product’s ingredients and manufacturing process before purchase.[8]
  • 67% of U.S. adults identify yogurt as a health-conscious dairy-aisle choice, according to a 2024 survey.[38]
  • 81% of U.S. adults agree that yogurt or cottage cheese provides an easy high-protein breakfast, according to a 2024 survey.[38]
  • 52% of U.S. adults consider macronutrients and calories equally important when checking dairy nutrition labels, according to a 2024 survey.[38]

Customer retention in the dairy farming industry

  • 15% of U.S. dairy consumers who switched brands migrated to the new brand altogether during the 2020 survey period.[8]
  • About 80% of U.S. consumers planned to purchase the same amount or more of alternative dairy products after the pandemic than before it.[8]
  • 24% of U.S. dairy consumers who tried a new dairy brand fully switched to that brand within the reported period.[8]
  • 48% of U.S. dairy consumers who tried a new dairy brand expanded their purchase portfolio to include both brands.[8]
  • 28% of U.S. dairy consumers who switched brands returned to their original brand during the 2020 survey period.[8]

Customer acquisition in the dairy farming industry

  • 61% of U.S. adults often purchase dairy products and dairy alternatives together during the same grocery trip.[38]
  • 70% of U.S. parents with children in the household often purchase dairy products and dairy alternatives together during the same trip.[38]
  • 41% of U.S. dairy consumers tried a new dairy brand in the previous 12 months, according to McKinsey research.[8]
  • 70% of U.S. dairy consumers who tried a new dairy brand continued purchasing it after the trial, according to McKinsey research.[8]
  • 74% of U.S. millennials often make unplanned purchases in the dairy aisle, creating an acquisition opportunity for dairy brands.[38]

Customer loyalty in the dairy farming industry

  • 70% of U.S. dairy consumers cited taste as the main reason for consuming milk.[8]
  • Dairy consumers were more loyal than soy-milk consumers in the cited U.S. consumer comparison, with 38% of soy consumers reporting comparable loyalty.[8]
  • 29% of U.S. dairy consumers cited health reasons as the main reason for consuming milk.[8]
  • 75% of U.S. plant-based dairy consumers considered eating healthy very important, compared with 46% of dairy-only consumers.[8]
  • 63% of U.S. plant-based dairy consumers said they try to lead very healthy lifestyles, compared with 35% of dairy-only consumers.[8]

Lead generation in the dairy farming industry

  • The New York Dairy website was a top-20 search result for 100 keywords in 2024.[39]
  • 49,022 link clicks were generated by New York Dairy’s 2024 Instagram, Facebook and TikTok advertising campaign.[39]
  • The New York Dairy website ranked for more than 300 keywords in 2024.[39]
  • 21,706 link clicks were achieved by the New York dairy farmers campaign in 2024.[39]

09 Statistics

Marketing & Brand

Brand programs measure outcomes through retail media, social reach, and click-through. For example, $50,000 allocated to paid media in 2024 supported Instacart, Meta, and Google, and New York Dairy reported 39% engagement for paid digital advertising.

Marketing in the dairy farming industry

  • 50 blogs were published by New York Dairy in 2024 as part of its consumer content program.[39]
  • 397 pieces of New York Dairy partner content featuring farmers and industry partners were produced in 2024.[39]
  • $50,000 was invested in New York Dairy content creation during 2024.[39]
  • $50,000 was allocated to New York Dairy’s 2024 paid media campaign across Instacart, Meta and Google.[39]
  • 14 social influencers were engaged in Midwest Dairy’s dairy marketing program reported for 2023–2024.[40]

Digital marketing in the dairy farming industry

  • 39% was the engagement rate for New York Dairy’s 2024 paid digital advertising campaign.[39]
  • $15.07 in sales was generated for every dollar invested in New York Dairy’s 2024 Instacart advertising.[39]
  • 2,008,777 interactions were generated by New York Dairy’s 2024 paid digital advertising campaign.[39]
  • $11.35 in dairy sales was generated for every dollar invested in Midwest Dairy digital retail advertising reported for 2023–2024.[40]
  • 4.3 million video views were generated by New York Dairy’s 2024 paid digital advertising campaign.[39]

Branding in the dairy farming industry

  • 2.5 million people were reached by New York Dairy brand content in 2024.[39]
  • 168,550 interactions were recorded across New York Dairy’s social platforms in 2024.[39]
  • 3.9 million video views were generated by New York Dairy brand content in 2024.[39]
  • 6,820 YouTube subscribers were held by New York Dairy at the end of 2024.[39]
  • 7.2 million impressions were generated by New York Dairy brand content in 2024.[39]

Social media in the dairy farming industry

  • 65% of farmers used social media for business in the 2023–2024 U.K. farming survey.[41]
  • 33 median interactions were earned by the worldwide median dairy brand’s Instagram post in September 2026.[42]
  • 15 median interactions were earned by the worldwide median dairy brand’s Facebook post in September 2026.[42]
  • 157 million impressions were delivered by Midwest Dairy’s social influencer team on Meta and TikTok in 2023–2024.[40]
  • 78% of farmers preferred “day in the life” content from farming businesses and influencers in the 2023–2024 U.K. farming survey.[41]

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.[43]
  • Food and drink influencer content generated 42.7 billion engagements globally in 2023.[43]
  • Food and drink influencer content produced an estimated $122 billion in earned media value globally in 2023.[43]
  • 11.5 million influencer posts covered food and drink globally in 2023, according to Sprout Social’s benchmark dataset.[43]
  • Food and drink influencer content generated 392 billion impressions globally in 2023.[43]

10 Statistics

Operations & Execution

Operational performance relies on records, milking, and feed systems. In 2021, 63% of U.S. dairy farms kept individual-cow production records, accounting for 90% of milk sold.

Process optimization in the dairy farming industry

  • 45% of milk production came from U.S. farms using computerized milking systems in 2021.[6]
  • 19,413 pounds was the rolling herd-average production for U.S. producers completing the Milk and Dairy Beef Quality Assurance Program, compared with 18,331 pounds for others.[44]
  • 10% of U.S. dairy farms used computerized feed-delivery systems in 2021, producing 52% of milk sold.[6]
  • 63% of U.S. dairy farms kept individual-cow production records in 2021, accounting for 90% of milk sold.[6]
  • 8,120 kg was the average apparent milk yield per cow in the European Union in 2024.[10]

Operational efficiency in the dairy farming industry

  • 90% of U.S. dairy farms’ milk sales came from farms keeping individual-cow production records in 2021.[6]
  • 90% of New Zealand dairy farmers had operating profits between NZ$500 and NZ$5,000 per hectare in 2023–24.[11]
  • $42.71 per 100 pounds was the 2021 total milk-production cost for U.S. herds with fewer than 50 cows.[6]
  • U.S. milk production increased 32%, from 170.8 billion pounds in 2004 to 225.9 billion pounds in 2024.[6]
  • 11.0 million tonnes of raw milk were used on European Union farms for direct sales, animal feed, family consumption or on-farm processing in 2024.[10]

Quality management in the dairy farming industry

  • 219,000 cells per millilitre was the average bulk-tank somatic cell count for U.S. producers completing the quality-assurance program.[44]
  • 70.9% of U.S. dairy operations reported average bulk-tank somatic cell counts below 300,000 cells per millilitre in 2007.[44]
  • 62% of western U.S. dairy producers reported milk yields above 19,000 pounds per cow, compared with 16% of southern producers.[44]
  • 89.6% of U.S. dairy operations reported average bulk-tank somatic cell counts below 400,000 cells per millilitre in 2007.[44]
  • 170,000 cells per millilitre was the average bulk-tank somatic cell count in the western U.S. region.[44]

Supply chain in the dairy farming industry

  • 107.5 million tonnes of dairy products were obtained from milk processed by European Union dairies in 2024.[10]
  • 10.8 million tonnes of cheese were produced by European Union dairies in 2024.[10]
  • 2.7 million tonnes of milk powder were produced by European Union dairies in 2024.[10]
  • 0.6% was the increase in European Union raw-milk production from 2023 to 2024.[10]
  • 21.9 million tonnes of drinking milk were produced by European Union dairies in 2024.[10]

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

  • 85% of Canadian food and beverage companies processed or manufactured products internally in 2020, while 13% both produced internally and outsourced production.[45]
  • 2% of Canadian food and beverage companies outsourced production entirely to third-party manufacturers in 2020.[45]
  • 19% of surveyed Queensland food-processing businesses contracted work out in 2010, while 28% contracted work in and 15% did both.[46]
  • 66% of Queensland food-processing businesses engaged in contract manufacturing to some extent in 2010, including contracting work in or out.[46]
  • 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.[47]

11 Statistics

Finance & Pricing

Margins track feed-cost exposure and producer price movement. In August 2026, Federal Milk Marketing Order class prices were $18.71 for Class II, $16.64 for Class III, and $17.36 for Class IV.

Pricing strategy in the dairy farming industry

  • 16.0% was the increase in Ireland’s average farm-gate milk price in 2024.[10]
  • 5.8% was the increase in Germany’s average farm-gate milk price in 2024.[10]
  • 15.3% was the increase in European Union milk prices in the fourth quarter of 2024 compared with the fourth quarter of 2023.[10]
  • 8.9% was the decrease in Spain’s average farm-gate milk price in 2024.[10]
  • 33.2% was the increase in Lithuania’s milk price in the fourth quarter of 2024 compared with the same quarter of 2023.[10]

Cost reduction in the dairy farming industry

  • $0.16 per kilogram of milksolids was the reduction in New Zealand dairy operating expenses from 2022–23 to 2023–24.[11]
  • 26 cents per litre was the average Irish dairy-farm production cost during 2014–19.[48]
  • $6.51 per kilogram of milksolids was the average New Zealand dairy operating expense in 2023–24.[11]
  • 3.5 cents per litre was the 2024 total-cost gap between top- and bottom-performing Irish dairy farms.[48]
  • $0.11 per kilogram of milksolids was the decrease in New Zealand dairy feed expenses from 2022–23 to 2023–24.[11]

Profitability in the dairy farming industry

  • 82% of Irish dairy farms were economically viable in 2024.[48]
  • €2,359 per hectare was the average family-farm income for the top-performing Irish dairy-farm cohort in 2024.[48]
  • 13.92 cents per litre was the 2024 net margin for bottom-performing Irish dairy farms.[48]
  • 20.15 cents per litre was the 2024 net margin for top-performing Irish dairy farms.[48]
  • €855 per hectare was the average family-farm income for the bottom-performing Irish dairy-farm cohort in 2024.[48]

Financial planning in the dairy farming industry

  • 25 of 25 years from 2000 to 2024 saw the average U.S. dairy farm cover feed costs.[6]
  • 4 of 25 years from 2000 to 2024 saw the average U.S. dairy farm cover total economic costs.[6]
  • 13 of 25 years from 2000 to 2024 saw the average U.S. dairy farm cover operating and ownership costs.[6]
  • 37.9 cents per litre was the average total cost of Irish dairy production in 2024.[48]
  • €5,055 per hectare was the average output of Irish dairy farms in 2024.[48]

12 Statistics

Product & Service

Precision technology adoption varies by use case and sensor type. In 2026, 25.9% of surveyed U.S. dairy farmers actively used automated milking systems, while 6.2% actively used body-condition monitoring.

Product development in the dairy farming industry

  • 64.2% of surveyed US dairy farmers actively used wearable precision technologies in 2026.[12]
  • 9.9% of surveyed US dairy farmers actively used camera-based precision technologies in 2026.[12]
  • 7.4% of surveyed US dairy farmers actively used pedometers in 2026.[12]
  • 25.9% of surveyed US dairy farmers actively used automated milking systems in 2026.[12]
  • 8.6% of surveyed US dairy farmers actively used rumen boluses in 2026.[12]

Product lifecycle in the dairy farming industry

  • 47.9% of Spanish livestock farms reported using at least one AI system in 2022.[1]
  • 21.0% of Spanish livestock farms used AI for analysis of farm-generated data in 2022.[1]
  • 40% of Slovenian farms used digital platforms during the 2021–2023 period.[1]
  • 73.4% of Spanish livestock farms reported at least one automated activity in 2022.[1]
  • Less than 10% of small Slovenian farms used precision tools during 2021–2023.[1]

After-sales in the dairy farming industry

  • 70% of Irish dairy farms used automatic in-parlour feeders in 2024.[49]
  • 2% of Irish dairy farms used virtual-fencing technology in 2024.[49]
  • 50% of Irish dairy farms used milk-recording or herd-management applications in 2024.[49]
  • 24% of Irish dairy farms used milk-recording or herd-management applications at the lower end of reported adoption in 2024.[49]
  • 2% of Irish dairy farms used milking robots in 2024.[49]

Value proposition in the dairy farming industry

  • 41.2% was the average interest in trying technologies among dairy farmers not currently using them.[5]
  • 67% of surveyed dairy farmers reported using milk-composition technology.[5]
  • 13% of surveyed dairy farmers reported abandoning automatic sorting gates.[5]
  • 55.7% of dairy farmers not currently using automatic body-condition scoring expressed interest in trying it.[5]
  • 46% of dairy farmers not currently using automatic milking systems expressed interest in trying them.[5]

13 Statistics

Sustainability & Ethics

Sustainability planning shows wide variation in adoption of farm management plans. For example, 19% of participating dairy farms implemented an effluent-management plan in 2024, and 25.2% was the average nitrogen-use efficiency of Irish dairy farms in 2024.

Sustainability in the dairy farming industry

  • 89% of Irish dairy farmers had received formal agricultural education in 2024.[48]
  • 76% of participating dairy farms had implemented a farm-safety plan in 2024.[50]
  • 265 billion litres of milk were reported by Dairy Sustainability Framework members in 2024.[50]
  • 19% of participating dairy farms had implemented an effluent-management plan in 2024.[50]
  • 29% of global milk production was represented by Dairy Sustainability Framework members in 2024.[50]

ESG in the dairy farming industry

  • 38% of dairy farms in the 2025 Dairy Sustainability Framework reporting population had implemented an animal-health and welfare plan.[50]
  • 642,153 farms were represented by Dairy Sustainability Framework members in 2025.[50]
  • 273 billion litres of milk were produced by Dairy Sustainability Framework members in 2025.[50]
  • 1,374 organisations participated in the Dairy Sustainability Framework in 2025.[50]
  • 52% of formal global cow and buffalo milk production was represented by Dairy Sustainability Framework members in 2024.[50]

Ethics in the dairy farming industry

  • 418,115 dairy farms were covered by the Dairy Sustainability Framework animal-care metric in 2024.[50]
  • 28.1% of participating dairy farms had an animal-health and welfare plan in 2024.[50]
  • 174,646 farms participated in Dairy Sustainability Framework Stage 1 pilots in 2024.[50]
  • 117,693 animal-health and welfare plans were reported by participating dairy farms in 2024.[50]

CSR in the dairy farming industry

  • 69% of top-performing Irish dairy farms belonged to a discussion group in 2024.[48]
  • 85% of slurry applied on the average Irish dairy farm used low-emission spreading methods in 2024.[48]
  • 17% of Irish dairy farms had a high-age operator profile in 2024.[48]
  • 7% of Irish dairy farmers lived alone and were classified as at risk of isolation in 2024.[48]
  • 9% of Irish dairy-farm households were classified as economically vulnerable in 2024.[48]

Circular economy in the dairy farming industry

  • 25.2% was the average nitrogen-use efficiency of Irish dairy farms in 2024.[48]
  • 0.14% of participating dairy farms had implemented a waste-management plan in 2024.[50]
  • 60.8% was the average phosphorus-use efficiency of Irish dairy farms in 2024.[48]
  • 165.0 kilograms of nitrogen surplus per hectare was recorded on the average Irish dairy farm in 2024.[48]
  • 9.6 kilograms of phosphorus surplus per hectare was recorded on the average Irish dairy farm in 2024.[48]

Carbon footprint in the dairy farming industry

  • 51% of Scottish dairy-production emissions came from enteric methane in 2018.[51]
  • 0.0384 kilograms of CO2 equivalent per kilogram of milk was the average energy-related emissions intensity of Irish dairy farms in 2024.[48]
  • 0.87 kilograms of CO2 equivalent per kilogram of milk was the average greenhouse-gas intensity of Irish dairy farms in 2024.[48]
  • 80.8% was the greenhouse-gas emissions intensity of U.S. dairy production in 2017 relative to equivalent milk production in 2007.[13]
  • 25% of Scottish dairy-production emissions came from manure in 2018.[51]

15 Statistics

Globalization & Expansion

Global supply growth pulls on regional dairy production shifts. For example, India produced 227 million tonnes of milk in 2024, making it the world’s largest milk-producing country.

Globalization in the dairy farming industry

  • About one-fifth of the global dairy cow and buffalo population is projected to be in Africa by 2034, producing around 5% of world milk.[1]
  • 150.8 million tonnes of EU raw milk were delivered to dairies in 2024, while 11.0 million tonnes were used on farms.[10]
  • 227 million tonnes of milk were produced in India in 2024, making it the world’s largest milk-producing country.[1]
  • More than half of U.S. milk production in 2024 came from California, Wisconsin, Texas, Idaho and New York.[56]
  • India had about 80 million dairy farmers producing 231 million tonnes of milk in 2023.[57]

Cultural adaptation in the dairy farming industry

  • 22.4% of surveyed U.S. consumers purchased local cheese, compared with 17.8% for local fluid milk in 2026.[12]
  • €12 billion was spent by French consumers on organic products in 2023.[58]
  • 5.6% of the French diet was organic in 2023, down from 6.0% in 2022.[58]
  • 14% of French organic-product sales occurred through specialist stores in 2023.[58]
  • 50% of French organic-product sales occurred through supermarkets in 2023.[58]

Supplier management in the dairy farming industry

  • 600-plus dairy farm families supply Prairie Farms Dairy.[21]
  • 1,300 dairy producers supply the Savencia-Agrial partnership, which covers 1 billion litres of milk annually.[19]
  • 100% of Agrial cooperative farmer members supplying Savencia are targeted for carbon-reduction processes by the end of 2026.[19]
  • 92% of milk used on U.S. farms in 2024 was fed to calves, according to USDA’s annual dairy summary.[59]
  • U.S. dairy farmers received $50.7 billion in cash receipts from milk marketings in 2024.[59]

Stakeholder management in the dairy farming industry

  • 15 million milk pounds were generated by Dairy MAX retail and e-commerce campaigns during 2026.[60]
  • 25% was the reduction in methane emissions from Savencia’s fresh-milk supply chain against its 2020 baseline by 2024.[25]
  • 7 dairy companies and food companies were founding members of the Dairy Methane Action Alliance launched at COP28 in 2023.[23]
  • 25% to 35% is the estimated methane reduction from manure-management projects using liquid-solid separators in Danone’s U.S. partnerships.[23]
  • 30% is Danone’s target for reducing agricultural methane emissions by 2030 against its 2020 baseline.[23]

Distribution channels in the dairy farming industry

  • 6.6% of Canadian dairy retail sales came through e-commerce in 2025.[61]
  • 54.1% of Canadian dairy retail sales came through supermarkets in 2025.[61]
  • 92.4% of Canadian dairy retail sales were made through store-based grocery retailers in 2025.[61]
  • Can$1.194 billion was generated by Canadian dairy retail e-commerce in 2025.[61]
  • 18.3% was the 2020–2025 compound annual growth rate for Canadian dairy e-commerce sales.[61]

Key questions about the dairy farming industry

What is the U.S. dairy farming market size?
U.S. dairy farming generated $48.9 billion in farm-level milk cash receipts from milk marketings in 2025, with 232 billion pounds of milk produced.
How is the dairy market expected to grow through 2030?
The global dairy products and alternatives industry is forecast to grow at a 2.1% compound annual growth rate from 2025 to 2030, adding an estimated $77.0 billion in value.
Which companies lead the dairy farming industry?
Arla Foods leads Gitnux's 2026 dairy farming ranking with an Overall score of 9.1, with 14.3 billion kilograms of milk processed in 2025 for farmer owners. Schreiber Foods is the highest-ranked dairy ingredient manufacturer at 8.8, driven by making cheese, yogurt, beverages and dairy ingredients for global customers.
What technology shifts are showing up on dairy farms?
Precision dairy adoption broadens: milk yield reached about 24,390 pounds per cow in 2025, while 61% of farmers reported adopting digital agronomy technologies in 2024.
How concentrated is milk production in the U.S.?
California, Wisconsin, Idaho, Texas, and New York collectively produced more than 55% of U.S. milk in 2025, with production concentrated in large western and upper-Midwestern dairy regions.
What price signals matter for margins in 2026?
In August 2026, USDA-reported Federal Milk Marketing Order class prices were $18.71 per hundredweight for Class II, $16.64 for Class III, and $17.36 for Class IV.
Reference

Cite This Report

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

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