Georgia's dairy industry has been commercially successful since the 1930s. Today, there are several firms that have a hand in the processing of milk and milk products in Georgia. The dairy industry includes farmers, processors and manufacturers, who provide all the services needed to produce a variety of dairy products, as well as retailers who bring the products directly to consumers.
A total of 268 dairy farms produce 1.34 billion pounds of milk in Georgia. Dairy ranks 8th as an agricultural commodity in Georgia. Over 148 herds in Georgia are enrolled in the Dairy Herd Improvement Program. They average over 21,000 pounds of milk and 300 cows each. While the number of dairy farms in Georgia has declined over the years, the amount of milk per cow has greatly increased. The goal of UGA Extension and the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences is to extend lifelong learning about dairy production and management through research-based information.
Our Programs and Services
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On-Site and Telephone Consultation Available in many county offices for ag producers.
Recent Publications
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Calf Health Basics (B 1500) Calf health is a key variable for calf growth and performance. Producers should not expect to know all calf health issues, causes, and the most successful treatments. Instead, a producer's main goal s…
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Bull Buyer's Guide (C 553) Bull procurement decisions can greatly impact your future calf crops and herd genetics for many years. Selecting and buying a herd bull is the quickest way to make genetic improvement in your herd. Th…
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Cow Behavior: A Critical Factor to Consider Under Heat Stress (B 1442) Cow behavior is critical for animal well-being and performance and influenced by many factors, such as heat stress. Under thermo-neutral conditions, cows spend half a day lying down and the rest of th…
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Feeding for Improved Yield of Milk Components (B 1512) This bulletin provides information for producers, nutritionists, and feed industry personnel on formulating diets to maintain or improve milk composition. The value of milk components is increasing mo…
Websites
UGA-affiliated sites
Dairy On: UGA Dairy Team Blog A blog on dairy research, youth activities and Extension programming.
Dairy Cattle Resources UGA Extension research-based information from the department of Animal and Dairy Science.
Commodity Teams at CAES Teams made up of research scientists and extension specialists work together to provide the latest technology and information for efficient, profitable production of some of Georgia's most valuable commodities.
Sustainable Agriculture at UGA Brings together information on sustainable agriculture including management intensive grazing and other resources.
UGA Department of Animal and Dairy Science Learn more about the animal and dairy science department at the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.
External sites
American Dairy Science Association Provides leadership in scientific and technical support to sustain and grow the global dairy industry through generation, dissemination, and exchange of information and services.
Georgia Milk Producers, Inc. Features pertinent information for Georgia's dairy producers. Sections include MILC payment program information, weather conditions and forecasts, dairy policy updates, newsletters, exchange quotes, an events calendar, and a classifieds section.
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Guthrie GFB Award Larry Guthrie announced as the 2022 Georgia Farm Bureau Commodity Award recipient.
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Horn Fly Research Horn flies are one of the most economically detrimental pests for the cattle industry, with an average of $1.8 billion in economic damages per year.
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Jersey Genetics Jillian Bohlen worked to diversity the dairy cattle herd in the Department of Animal and Dairy Science at CAES>
| Top Dairy Producers | |
|---|---|
| County Name | Value |
| Macon | $86,386,500 |
| Brooks | 54,080,730 |
| Burke | 45,886,680 |
| Morgan | 26,703,000 |
| Sumter | 26,460,000 |
| Putnam | 23,247,000 |
| Mitchell | 15,470,000 |
| Lee | 14,203,020 |
| Troup | 9,720,000 |
| Jasper | 7,425,000 |
| State Total: | $378,370,162 |
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Displaying farm gate values for 2022. Values are tallied in October for the previous year. |
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