Trend Indicates More Cows And Fewer Dairy Farms BY JOHN W. WYSONG University of Maryland COLLEGE PARK, Md. - A long-term trend toward larger but fewer dairy farms and fewer total* dairy cows in Maryland, Penm sylvania and many other states in the United States has been con sistently indicated during the post- World War II dairy adjustment period. Since 1954, milk cow numbers in Maryland have declined from an all time high of 240,000 cows to nearly 125,000 milk Table 1. Relation Between Cows Per Farm and Number of Dairy Farms Needed in The Future With an Assumed 100,000 Milk Cow Population, Maryland, Future. Total Milk Cows in Maryland 100,000 100,000 100,000 100,000 100,000 100,000 125,000 (est. Jan. 1, 1967) WE HAVE A SOW CONTRACT FOR YOU... - PIC Breeding Stock • Purina Feeding Program - Record Keeping Programs • Quality Service * Expanding? Building New? Need Security? - We Have A Need For Farrow To Feeder Pig Operations, Farrow To Finish Operations And Potentially, A 150 Sow To 220 Sow Multiplier Herd. Please Give Us The Opportunity To Earn Your Business. 6 S. Vintage Rd. Rt. 82 Paradise, PA 17562 Unionville, PA 18375 (717)442-4183 (215)347-2377 (717) 768-3301 * Registered trademark of Ralston Purina Cor pany cows in 1987, A projection of what could happen in the future assuming a continued decline in the number of cows from 125,000 in 1987 to ap proximately 100,000 cows in 1995 or later and a continued shift toward more cows per farm is shown in Table 1. Fewer farms with milk cows could release labor and other economic resources to other sectors of the economy and help reduce total cow numbers and total milk output. Cows per farm kssMuls H BMWH Potential Number of dairy farms 667 1,000 1,250 1,538 2,000 2,500 Thank You. It is evident from the above What has happened in past future projection table that only Maryland dairy farm resource 1,000 dairy farms might be needed adjustments and reorganizations in Maryland in the year 2000 with since the 1950’s has been a slightly an average herd size of 100 cows increasing average labor force size per farm, and only 667 farms would of nearly three full-time equivalent be needed with an average of 150 workers per farm with more and milk cows per farm. This should better capital investments which not be interpreted to infer that all permit more cropland, pasture and dairy farms in Maryland in the -cows and heifers handled per farm future will be 100 to 150 cows in and increased human resource size. A range in herd sizes has productivity and greater net labor always existed and will continue to and management returns, exist in the future, but the average As the size of cow herd in size of dairy herd will continue to creases, the average number of expand. cows per man generally increases Because of the external and up to the point where farm labor is internal economies already being fully utilized. Large crop-dairy achieved by some Maryland farms, 150 to 199 cows, in Maryland dairymen up to the 150 to 200 cow in the mid-1980’s had an average of herd sizes, and the potential nearly 44 cows per man, which was economies from the introduction nearly 50 pecent above the 30 cows and utilization of additional im- per man average for all corn proved production technology, it mercial dairy farms in Maryland, seems reasonable to assume that As the average number of cows per the surviving Maryland dairymen man increases, the number of will continue to expand the workers required to handle the average number of cows in their dairy cows on farms decreases if herds in their efforts to improve total cow numbers are stable, average numbers of cows per declining or increasing only slowly worker in the business through the (Table 2). substitution of labor-saving capital If the number of cows per man inputs for expensive human labor continues to increase from the inputs. present Maryland state com mercial dairy farm average of approximately 30, then some of the workers presently required to do the crop and livestock farm work will be released for other types of farm and nonfarm employment. It seems reasonable to expect that many dairymen with moderately large cow herds will likely achieve Table 2. Relation Between Cows Per Man and Total Number of Farm Workers Required to Handle An Assumed 100,000 Cow Population, Maryland, Future. Total dairy cows in Maryland 240.000 (1954) 120.000 100,000 100,000 100,000 100,000 100,000 100,000 Plant Rnekavn^A TURF TYPE TALL FESCUE ImmhhivMJ] really Fine Lawn in sun or shade Batebam^ TVRF TYPE TALL FESCUE mg traffic, and grows in full sun or shade. For a healthy lawn that looks great, ask for Flnclawn 1 Turf-Type Tall Fescue’: Highly rated in I’.S.D.A. tests. Buy now at your Finelawn 1 dealer Beachley-Hardy Seed Company PO Box 366 / Camp Hill, PA 17011 / 717-737-4529 higher levels of cows per man m the future than in the past as new production technology is in corporated into the business structure, and improved work methods, and new methods of financial and business organization are adopted. Changing dairy farm business numbers and sizes, and total dairy farm employment, need to be considered carefully in future farm planning at various local, county, state and regional levels. While past dairy farm reorganizations have been sub stantial, the resource adjustment process does not appear to be fully completed at this time in Maryland. Assessments by the federal government to help finance the existing dairy support price and commodity storage system will require dairymen to re evaluate their whole farm business and locate potential areas of cost reduction. The trend toward higher amounts of milk sold per cow in Maryland (DHIA average of 16,300 pounds in 1906) enables dairymen to increase mUk sold per worker annually. When higher milk per man is needed to generate higher net farm incomes, the combination of higher number of cows per man and higher output of milk per cow is essential. Maryland dairymen have been successful in raising their average milk sales per worker over time, and especially in the past several years, with more and better cows. Potential Total Number of farm workers required Cows per man Its lush green color and attractive narrow, tapering leaves make Flnelav.'n 1 Turf-Type Tall Fescue® the new standard of excellence. Plus, Flnelawn 1 resists heat, drought, heavy 16,000 4.000 5.000 4.000 3,333 2,500 2.000 1,700
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