# U.S. Dairy Herd Hits 30-year High At 9.74 Million Cows As GLP-1 Protein Boom And +13.8% Export Surge Absorb Record Milk Output

> The USDA raised its 2026 US milk production forecast by 800 million pounds to 237.7 billion pounds and its 2027 forecast by 2.3 billion pounds to 240.7 billion pounds. The dairy herd has reached a 30-year high of 9.74 million cows, with exports up 13.8%.

- Date: 2026-11-13 · published 2026-11-13T12:10:06.492Z
- Category: report · region US · magnitude medium
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/97670-u-s-dairy-herd-hits-30-year-high-at-9-74-million-cows-as-glp-1-protein-boom-and
- Commodities: [Milk (Class III)](https://feedsoft.ai/c/MILK.md), [Nonfat Dry Milk](https://feedsoft.ai/c/NFDM.md)

## Why it matters

A larger milk pool normally pressures dairy prices, but strong high-protein demand and exports are absorbing surplus solids, which limits downside for milk powder and milk prices.

## Read by commodity

- MILK: bearish ▼
- NFDM: neutral

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| MILK | 2025-11-26 | [US Milk Output Surges 4% As Herd Hits 31-Year High - EDairy News English](https://feedsoft.ai/events/21960-us-milk-output-surges-4-as-herd-hits-31-year-high-edairy-news-english.md) | -8.1% | -8.3% |
| MILK | 2021-06-25 | [As Higher Milk Production Forecasts Settle In, Can Export Demand Help Save Prices? - Dairy Herd](https://feedsoft.ai/events/46748-as-higher-milk-production-forecasts-settle-in-can-export-demand-help-save.md) | -2.6% | -3.6% |
| MILK | 2025-07-22 | [Milk Output Surges Past Expectations as Butter Prices Slide, 2025 Futures Rally on Export Strength - Dairy Herd](https://feedsoft.ai/events/23759-milk-output-surges-past-expectations-as-butter-prices-slide-2025-futures-rally.md) | -0.6% | -0.0% |
| MILK | 2026-10-25 | [U.S. Milk Production Up 2.7% in September 2026: Butterfat Hits Historic 4.32% as Protein Demand Surges](https://feedsoft.ai/events/17115-u-s-milk-production-up-2-7-in-september-2026-butterfat-hits-historic-4-32-as.md) | -0.4% | — |
| MILK | 2021-01-26 | [U.S. dairy herd largest since 1995; December milk output up 3.1% - Progressive Dairy \| Ag Proud](https://feedsoft.ai/events/49171-u-s-dairy-herd-largest-since-1995-december-milk-output-up-3-1-progressive-dairy.md) | -0.2% | -3.2% |

## Sources

- en.edairynews.com: https://en.edairynews.com/u-s-dairy-herd-hits-30-year-high-at-9-74-million-cows-as-glp-1-protein-boom-and-13-8-export-surge-absorb-record-milk-output/

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Data from Feedsoft AI (https://feedsoft.ai/). For information only; not investment advice.