Milk Cost of Production Estimates for January, February, and March 2012

This report is a follow up on previous reports for 2011 quarters two, three, and four that use the current USDA methodology and continues the Vermont and Maine milk COP estimates previously calculated by the USDA’s ERS.The methodology used to estimate the milk COP for application of Public Act 09-229 relies upon the Agricultural Resource Management Survey (ARMS) to provide an annual milk COP for Vermont and Maine. This survey, updated every five years by the USDA, is used as a benchmark to estimate monthly and annual changes using National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) indices. ERS estimates the 2011 ARMS annual milk COP for Vermont at $32.61/cwt and for Maine at $37.45/cwt. Following the USDA methodology, we estimate the monthly COP for quarter one of 2012 for both states