The Economics of Milk Production 2016 publication is now available. The annual report uses cost-of-production data from 45 participating dairy farmers.

In 2016, the total cost of producing a hectolitre of milk was $78.81 or a little more than $7,300 per cow — an increase of less than one per cent ($64) from 2015.

Other findings were that the average herd size was 161 cows, the cull rate was 27 per cent, and the average butterfat test was 4.07 kg/hl. The study also showed an increased investment in dairy barns and milk facilities.

The report can be found at www.agriculture.alberta.ca.