According to USDA, April ’14 U.S. milk production was up 1.0% YOY, at 17,428 million pounds. Poor feed quality and weather conditions continued in the Midwest, with Wisconsin, Minnesota, Ohio, Iowa, and Illinois all experiencing their sixth straight month of YOY production declines, however effects of the adverse weather have subsided. Aggregate milk production in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, and Illinois was down 1.0% YOY, which was smallest YOY decline in six months. Western YOY milk production gains fell for the second straight month, with aggregate milk production in California, Idaho, Washington, and Oregon up only 1.7% YOY. Western milk production was up 3.9% YOY through the first quarter of the 2014 calendar year. California milk production growth was tempered particularly, with April ’14 YOY growth of 1.5% being a five month low. ‘13-’14 YTD milk production is up 0.7% YOY through the first seven months of the production season, which is substantially less than Europe and New Zealand production gains.