Let’s Celebrate the Alabama Dairy Industry
Each June we celebrate National Dairy Month. National Dairy Month highlights the dairy industry in the United States, with many in the agriculture sector celebrating through events, educational opportunities, and—of course—a glass of milk!
In honor of National Dairy Month this June, we will be looking at the impact of dairy in each state within The Dairy Alliance’s eight-state region: Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.
First up is Alabama!
Alabama became a state in 1819. Its land is comprised of 52,423 square miles. Today, Alabama has a population of roughly 5 million people.
According to the 2023 USDA and NASS Data compiled by the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics, Alabama has 16 dairy farms with a typical herd of about 200 milking cows. Each of these approximately 2,000 dairy cows produces an average of 5.3 gallons of milk per day. The average value of a day’s milk per cow was about $11 in 2023. In 2023, a dairy cow in Alabama cost about $1,570. The total amount of milk produced in 2023 in Alabama equaled 3.4 million gallons, or 29.24 million pounds.
The milk collected from these farms can be used to make a variety of dairy products. You can easily find local milk according to the code on the packaging. Simply locate the code on the product and plug it into a locator to find where your milk is from. You’ll begin to recognize the codes and notice when your milk is from a town over or just across the state line. You may be surprised by how much of your dairy is local. Within 48 hours of leaving the dairy farm, milk is on store shelves, so you will discover a variety of local milk options to enjoy every day.
These dairy farmers are part of your community. You can explore some of Alabama’s dairy farms through virtual farm tours. Meet some of the state’s dairy farm families here.
The top three milk-producing counties in Alabama are Houston, Randolph, and Chambers.
According to the International Dairy Foods Association’s Dairy Delivers economic map, the United States’ dairy industry supports more than 3.2 million jobs that generate $49 billion in direct wages and $794 billion in overall economic impact. The direct economic impact of the Alabama dairy industry is $2,266,440,900. There are 13,891 direct jobs and $516,734,100 in direct wages. Alabama contributes $544,243,600 in total taxes and $1,454,000 in total annual exports.
In addition to the economic impact, the industry also creates delicious dairy foods for locals to enjoy! The most consumed dairy product in Alabama is cheese, followed closely by ice cream. And really, are you surprised by these beloved foods?
From the farm to your table, local dairy farmers are positively impacting your life. This National Dairy Month, raise a glass to the local dairy industry.
This National Dairy Month, follow along as we explore each state’s part of the nation’s dairy industry.
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