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US: skimmed milk powder production

This page contains:

  • two graphs and two tables giving us an overview of monthly production of Nonfat Dry Milk and SMP, expressed in pounds, over a given period.
  • a chart comparing data for the monthly production of Skimmed Milk Powder (Nonfat Dry Milk and SMP *) in the U.S. and wholesale market price trends over a given time period;
  • two graphs showing the annual and the cumulative monthly SMP production trend in the EU-28, New Zealand and the U.S.

* Nonfat dry milk (NDM) and skimmed milk powder (SMP) are very similar but are defined by two different sets of regulations and authorities. NDM is defined by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, while SMP is defined by CODEX Alimentarius. Both are obtained by removing water from pasteurized skim milk. Both contain 5% or less moisture (by weight) and 1.5% or less milkfat (by weight). The difference is that skimmed milk powder has a minimum milk protein content of 34%, whereas nonfat dry milk has no standardized protein level.

N.B.:
Produced in 80 production plants, the United States is one of the world's largest manufacturers of Skimmed Milk Powder.

Most of the plants are located in strategic locations, close to large urban conurbations in the northern part of the East Coast, in California and in the south central area of the US (Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado).
Massive quantities of SMP are provided by Dairy America, an Association of Cooperatives that counts among its members Agri-Mark Inc., California Dairies Inc., Land O'Lakes Inc., Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers Association, O-AT-KA Milk Producers Inc., United Dairymen of Arizona, Dairy Farmers of America and Lone Star Milk Producers.

The reasons why the US is such a dominant supplier of SMP are that it has a considerable number of pastures at its disposal, it has made substantial investments in research and development, it adopts strict health regulations and quality standards and boasts efficient manufacturing systems (many US plants are able to adapt production around market needs). It is also able to produce all year round, even in winter.

The fluctuating production of SMP adapts to both the logic of the commodity's various uses as well as market demands, including international.

The prices (as regulated by the Dairy Export Incentive Program, or DEIP) and stocks are affected by both industry production trends and international price trends, which, in turn, are affected by the euro-dollar exchange rate.

Visit the pages below: SMP Stock - US

Month 2010 2015 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 ± % on
2024 		± % on
2023
January 129.679 167.705 184.097 210.168 170.437 175.602 139.032 154.663 +11,2% -11,9%
February 118.999 150.960 174.728 182.471 168.997 177.583 147.100 146.611 -0,3% -17,4%
March 138.305 180.878 173.655 198.254 191.815 199.390 184.846 168.003 -9,1% -15,7%
April 152.945 180.771 202.626 193.792 195.821 198.521 173.911 163.306(p) -6,1% -17,7%
May 154.757 180.013 157.234 205.470 192.677 206.532 167.726
June 136.990 165.441 145.033 185.604 168.971 173.093 127.609
July 131.704 155.265 169.138 155.789 165.726 133.356 120.950
August 119.562 123.892 147.194 121.559 133.625 112.079 114.903
September 109.286 119.974 126.249 119.384 122.804 99.972 117.057
October 114.595 118.360 141.249 145.721 124.037 128.563 124.669
November 116.653 127.939 155.434 161.011 155.743 116.815 120.137
December 139.043 151.150 175.252 167.804 164.711 146.889 130.715
Jan-Apr 539.928 680.314 735.106 784.685 727.070 751.096 644.889 632.583
% y-o-y ¹ +29,6% +26,0% +8,1% +6,7% -7,3% +3,3% -14,1% -1,9%
Total Year 1.562.518 1.822.348 1.951.889 2.047.027 1.955.364 1.868.395 1.668.655
% y-o-y ¹ +29,1% +16,6% +7,1% +4,9% -4,5% -4,4% -10,7%
Last Update: 06-06-2025
1) change from the same period of previous year , except for years 2010, 2015, 2020, where the change is from the same period 5 years ago
(p) = provisional
Source: National Agricultural Statistics Service
 
Min Production in the last 5 years
 
Max Production in the last 5 years
Month 2010 2015 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 ± % on
2024 		± % on
2023
January 20.581 41.107 41.232 48.065 51.932 55.752 64.335 34.514 -46,4% -38,1%
February 22.029 33.320 38.751 43.967 40.138 47.623 43.609 30.762 -29,5% -35,4%
March 27.796 39.442 55.841 52.575 42.902 48.544 38.561 33.980 -11,9% -30,0%
April 14.463 33.099 51.611 55.977 44.613 45.617 44.858 35.518(p) -20,8% -22,1%
May 17.146 35.538 56.669 48.496 50.753 46.305 49.678
June 32.708 34.676 60.519 54.174 54.406 49.436 68.813
July 22.626 34.882 61.369 64.413 61.008 72.149 51.855
August 15.075 39.288 69.232 72.450 65.551 71.099 48.679
September 17.469 26.837 81.084 72.120 68.422 67.121 53.295
October 17.522 39.723 63.309 77.649 65.285 53.520 39.853
November 19.205 44.940 64.961 59.550 49.110 70.321 44.990
December 27.184 43.472 50.648 48.567 63.766 63.447 50.824
Jan-Apr 84.869 146.968 187.435 200.584 179.585 197.536 191.363 134.774
% y-o-y ¹ -19,3% +73,2% +27,5% +7,0% -10,5% +10,0% -3,1% -29,6%
Total Year 253.804 446.324 695.226 698.003 657.886 690.934 599.350
% y-o-y ¹ -21,4% +75,9% +55,8% +0,4% -5,7% +5,0% -13,3%
Last Update: 06-06-2025
1) change from the same period of previous year , except for years 2010, 2015, 2020, where the change is from the same period 5 years ago
(p) = provisional
Source: National Agricultural Statistics Service
 
Min Production in the last 5 years
 
Max Production in the last 5 years
Click here to view the PRICE trend.