Milk production in the United States was up 2.0 percent in April over a year ago, totaling 18.3 billion pounds, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Texas is now on pace to become the fifth ranked dairy state in the nation. Texas milk production surpassed 1 billion pounds in March and April breaking records, according to Milk Business.

“[March and April] are the first time we have surpassed the billion-pound mark in any month that we have on record for Texas,” the Livestock Estimates Group Leader with the Southern Plains Regional Field Office of USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service Jason Hardegree said.

Texas also had the greatest increase in year-to-year production with 1.02 billion pounds of milk in April, up 12.8 percent and increasing 16.4 percent from 2016.

On a monthly basis, Texas has surpassed Pennsylvania in August of last year and has been gaining ground ever since. That’s despite the fact that Pennsylvania is currently home to 15,000 more dairy cows.

Texas is producing more milk per cow compared with Pennsylvania. Texas cows produced 2,010 lb./cow in April compared to Pennsylvania cows producing 1,805 lb./cow. Texas has been rapidly adding cows as well.

The number of milk cows on farms in the U.S. was up by 69,000 head from 9.39 million head in April 2016.

Production per cow in the U.S. averaged 1,949 pounds for April.

Cow numbers were up 17,000 head in New Mexico. The increases in the case of both Texas and New Mexico are still likely due to recovery from the major blizzard that hit the two states last winter.

California continues to have the highest total production with about 3.44 billion pounds, despite being one of just five states with lower annual output.