Yield

The genetic evaluation of dairy cattle is conducted by the Australian Dairy Herd Improvement Service (ADHIS), using one of the most sophisticated evaluation systems available.

Improved herd genetics, as well as advances in pasture management and supplementary feeding regimes, have seen average annual yield per cow double from 2,850 litres to around 5,700 litres over the past three decades.

Combining this increase in yields per cow with average herd sizes that are nearly two and a half times larger, the average milk production per farm has increased from 250,000 litres to 1,320,000 litres per year over the same period.

Average annual milk production per cow

	NSW	VIC	QLD	SA	WA	TAS	AUST
1979/80	2,870	3,012	1,984	3,163	3,105	2,958	2,848
1989/90	3,602	3,920	3,122	3,934	4,205	3,791	3,781
1999/00	4,827	4,989	4,349	6,790	6,338	4,381	4,996

2000/01	4,687	4,977	3,943	6,369	5,903	4,177	4,859
2001/02	5,030	5,391	4,067	5,933	5,402	4,646	5,215
2002/03	4,996	4,885	4,230	6,556	5,348	4,304	4,913
2003/04	5,093	4,944	4,162	6,021	5,285	4,219	4,925
2004/05	4,925	5,101	3,735	5,862	5,418	4,497	4,983

2005/06	5,039	5,221	4,076	5,791	5,369	4,581	5,108
2006/07	5,151	5,261	4,033	6,417	5,235	4,696	5,182
2007/08	5,031	5,393	4,163	5,799	5,907	4,961	5,275
2008/09	5,420	5,807	5,032	6,053	6,355	5,140	5,691
2009/10 (r)	5,329	5,518	5,052	5,907	6,641	4,640	5,448

2010/11 (e)

5,164

5,824

5,056

6,256

6,584

5,280

5,699

Source: Dairy manufacturers, ABS and Dairy Australia