If Montana is to continue the develop- 

 ment of her dairy industry and continue 

 the expansion of her manufacture of 

 dairy products, it must be for export. In 

 fact Montana is already a surplus pro- 

 ducing state and is now facing the prob- 

 lem of competing in the export markets 

 on a quality basis. States now competing 

 with Montana in these markets are tak- 

 ing steps leading to compulsory cream 

 grading to assure the higher quality of 

 finished product necessary if their ex- 

 ports to outside markets are to make 

 profitable returns to their producers. 

 Whatever these states do in the way of 

 compulsory cream grading, Montana will 

 be forced to do if she is to hold and develop her outside markets. 



The past year has also witnessed the establishment of the first official cream 

 testing district in the Bitter Root valley where such work is now done by the state 

 dairy division in cooperation with Ravalli county creameries. 



For a little more than a year the state dairy division has been cooperating 

 with the federal dairy division of the United States Bureau of Agricultural Eco- 

 nomics in the matter of securing quarterly reports of creamery production. Real- 

 izing the importance of such information^ the Montana dairy division has under- 

 taken to secure this information monthly with the result that it is the first dairy 

 state cooperating with the federal department to secure such statistics on a 

 monthly basis. 



MANUFACTURED DAIRY PRODUCTS 



(From records of the state dairy division) 



1924 1925 1926 1927 



Butter, lbs 14,178,938 14,807,836 16,230,062 16,534,892 



Cheese, lbs 934,065 1,561,027 1,810,053 1,556,539 



Ice Cream, gals 564,676 761,638 672,724 741,804 



SHIPMENTS OF MONTANA BUTTER TO CALIFORNIA MARKETS IN PAST FOUR YEARS 



Butter lbs. Butter lbs. Butter lbs. Butter lbs. 



MARKET 1924 1925 1926 1927 



Los Angeles 1,934,838 1,047,534 



San Francisco 770,000 1,896,000 2,331,098 2,172,866 



Total 770,000 1,896,000 4,265,936 3,220,400 



ESTIMATES OF DAIRY PRODUCTION 1927 



Total estimated production of Montana dairymen in 1927 as estimated jointly 

 by the state dairy division and the state-federal crop reporting service was the 

 equivalent of 19,881,700 pounds of butterfat compared with 20,235,400 pounds 

 revised estimate of 1926; 21,628,000 pounds in 1925 and 20,784,000 pounds in 1924. 

 Estimated farm value of this production was $9,364,000 in 1927 compared with 

 $9,065,000 in 1926; $8,603,000 in 1925 and $7,282,000 in 1924. 



MILK COWS IN MONTANA 



Cows & Heifers 

 JANUARY 1 2yrs. andover 



kept for milk 



1920 148,000 



1921 148,000 



•1922 ...: 155,000 



1923 162,000 



1924 174,000 



1925 187,000 



1926 192,000 



1927 181,000 



1928 175,000 



Compiled by the U. S. Division of Crop and Livestock Estimates cooperating with the State 



Department of Agriculture. 



Data for the milk production study is gained from regular crop reporters 

 who each month are asked the following questions relative to milk production on 

 their farm on a specific day: (A) Number of cows milked on your farm yester- 

 day. (B) Number of all milk cows, dry or in milk, in your herd yesterday. (C) 

 Total production of milk by your herd yesterday, either in pounds or gallons. 



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