3 / Miss. 
Agr. Exp. Sta. Libral)
. .State 
College, Miss.
Progress Report Series No. 41 May 1949
AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION
of The Alabama Polytechnic Institute, Auburn, Ala.
. 0 * M. J. Funchess, 
Director
* * *. 0 0
FLUID MILK in ALABAMA
A Survey of the Production, Sales, and Supplementary Supplies of
Fluid Milk in Alabama in 1947
SHELDON W.. ILLIAMS
1
Associate Agricultural Economist
turing and since World War II, sales
:of fluid milk in Alabama have been far
above their pre-war level. Production in
the state has been less than consumption,
particularly during the fall and winter
months. Information has been needed as to
the extent of the shortage and how it is
being met.
Fluid milk is highly perishable, and
sells for a lower price per pound than
.many farm products. The cost of shipping
it long distances is high in comparison
with its value. As a result, it commonly
is produced near the markets in which it
is consumed. Accordingly, any regional
shortage or surplus of supplies in re-
lation to the consumption on local mar-
kets has more serious consequences than a
similar shortage or surplus of most other
farm products.
Production of fluid milk in Alabama
is increasing. Further expansion is con-
sidered desirable. To 
expand production
intelligently, however, farmers must know
what markets are 
short of milk, when 
the
shortages occur, and how 
much local sup-
plies should be increased. This study was
made to answer those questions.
WHAT IS FLUID MILK?
In this publication, fluid milk refers
to sweet milk sold by producers and dis-
tributors who 
complied with regulations
of the Alabama State Board of Health, or
with those of the Jefferson 
County (Ala-
bama) Health Department. These regula-
tions gover4 the productioni handling,
and shle of milk
2
. Most of te fluid milk
sold outside of Jefferson 
ounty in 1947
was 'grade A.' In Jefferson County, it
was sold as 'special pastuerized' or
'special raw.'
Sales, as reported here, include all
sweet milk
3 
distributed in 1947 in large
and medium.sized cities, most of that sold
in small cities, and part of that sold in
villages. They do not include the sweet
milk that owners of family cows sold to
their neighbors. Neither do the reported
sales include sweet milk sold in many
villages and a few small cities that was
not produced and distributed in compli-
ance with the previously mentioned re-
gulations.
Some of the fluid milk sold in 1947
contained reconstituted milk. Most of
The author is indebted to-the many milk dis-
tributors and health-department workers who
supplied the information used in this study.
Their cooperation in providing the infor-
mation requested adds to the accuracy of the
findings.
2
The regulations of the Jefferson County
Health Department differ from those of the
Alabama State Board of Health in various
respects. Both of them set high sanitary
standards for milk. The regulations of the
State Board of Health, which are based on
the Standard Milk Ordinance of the United
States Public Health Service, are in effect
in practically all cities outside Jefferson
County that have adopted milk ordinances.
3
Cream, buttermilk, chocolate drink, and
chocolate milk are not included.
I I I II II I
this was reconstituted skim milk made
by adding to unsweetened grade A con-
densed skim milk approximately as much
water as had been removed in condensing.
Reconstituted skim milk was used chiefly
in standardizing.
Standardizing is the process of ad-
justing the butterfat 
content of milk
to a predetermined level that is usually
somewhat above the minimum legal standard
4
.
In 1947 most of the milk produced in Ala-
bama was high in butterfat. When milk was
plentiful, standardizing was accomplished
by removing part of the butterfat from
the whold milk. When milk was short, dis-
tributors in some markets were permitted
to standardize by adding reconstituted
skim milk to their supplies of whole milk
instead of removing part of the butterfat
from the milk.
APPRAISAL of INFORMATION.
The information presented in this re-
port was obtained mainly from records of
county health departments and of milk
-distributors. Actual records of deliveries
to milk dealers were obtained for the
.bulk of the milk produced in Alabama.
Reports-, ob ta id by health department
personnel from: farmers were available
for most of the Alabama production, for
which records were not available directly
from dealers.
Becords of the physical quantities of
milk sold were obtained from many of the
larger distributors. Few of the medium-
sized and small distributors kept such
records. All readily available infor-
mation was used in making careful esti-
mates of those distributors' sales. How-
ever, because a smaller share of them were
based upon exact records of quantities,
the sales data were less dependable than;
the production data.
The auantities of whole milk shipped
in from other states were determined in
large part from records. The remainder
was based upon estimates of varying de-
pendability. The estimates of the quantity
of reconstituted skim milk used were much
less satisfactory. In many plants, con-
densed skim milk was used in more than
one product and records of its disposition
were generally unavailable.
Seasonal changes that appeared in both
production and sales were influenced by
the expansion that was taking place in
the fluid milk business. Both the number
of producers selling fluid milk and the
number of markets supplied increased
during the year. Consequently, both pro-
duction and sales were higher late in
the year than they would have been had
they represented the output of a con-
stant number of producers and the dis-
tribution on a constant number of markets
throughout the year.
VOLUME and SOURCES of FLUID MILK SUPPLIES
Deliveries by farmers of fluid milk
produced in Alabama increased from about
57,000 gallons per day in January to
about 85,000 gallons per day in May,
and subsequently dropped to about 59,000
gallons per day in November and December
(Table 1). Most of the spring increase
in the supply occurred in April and May.
Production declined gradually in the
early summer, and then more rapidly in
the late summer 
and fall.
A small part of the fluid milk pro-
duced in Alabama was not available for
distribution within the state. Approxi-
nately 6 per cent was marketed in Georgia
ard FIbrida, mostly at Columbus and Pen-
sacola. This left for Alabama markets a
quantity of Alabama-produced fluid milk
that varied from about 55,000 gallons
per day in the first 2 and last 2 months
of the year to about 
80, 000 gallons per
day in the late spring and early summer
(Figure 1).
Local supplies were supplemented with
shipped-in milk of three types, namely:
(1) whole milk brought in throughout the
year from regular sources in Mississippi
and Tennessee, (2) emergency imports of
whole milk during the fall and winter,
and (3) shipped-in condensed skim milk
5
,
SIn 1947, the minimum in Jefferson County
was 3.5 per cent butterfat by resolution
of the Jefferson County Board of Health.
The legal minimum was 3.25 per cent butter-
fat in markets complying with the regu-
lations of the Alabama State Board of Health.
5
Nearly all of this was grade A condensed
skim milk. 
To be gade 
A condensed 
skim
milk, it had to come from a condensery and
dairy farms that met the grade A standard
for milk supplies of the United States
Public Health Service.
(2)
GallIons
per day
(1,000)se
80
70
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a aaa a0A 0aa 8aa a0a aaa
a a0 aa 0a a0 0a a0 a0 a0 00 00 a0 a0 00
a a0 aa aa 00 aa a0 aa 6a 0a aa 00 aa M
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a aa aa a9 aa0 aa aa aa 00a 00 a0 a0 00
a aa a0 00 aa aa a0 aa aa aa aa aa aa
a aap 00aa a0a 0aa 0aa 6aa aa0
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I aa aa aa aa aaa a8 0aa 0a 00 a0 aa
0 aa0aa a0aa0 a0aa0 0a6aa
a Om n w som use Efiss mmu m M MMM MEN MMM
swa aa aa 0a aa aa 0a aa a0 00 aa aa
a aa aa aa0 a8 00 aaa aa 0a aaa a0 aa
a 0a aa aaa a00 aa aa a00 00a aa 0a
a aaaar aaaaa aaaaa aaaaa
a aaa0aa a0aaaa aaa60a
a aaaa aa00 0aaa 0aaa aaaa
-,I-sI m - iit an siII 
m m W m, W somm mimI
v Jan.1 Fe b. 'Ma r.' Apr. May I June I July' I
Year-round supplies 
from
SAl abama
JHOG666 Miss. and Tenn.
Figure I'-- Sales and-Sources of 
Supplies of Flu-id
3(3
Aug. -Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec.
Emergency suppl ies
SWhole milIk
....... 
i Condensed skim
Milk in Alabaia., by Months-,,1947
from which distributors reconstituted
skim milk that was used in standardizing.
From March through October, the bulk
of the fluid milk shipped into Alabama
came from year-round sources in Missis-
sippi and Tennessee. Over the year as a
whole, these year-round shipments from
,adjacent states comprised nearly two-
thirds of all imports, and approximately
one-eighth of the supply of milk available
for Alabama markets. They went mostly to
Birmingham, Gadsden, Tuscaloosa, and the
cities in the Tennessee Valley. These
shipments showed considerable seasonal
variation, though no more than production
in some sections of Alabama.
Emergency supplies of whole milk were
brought in during the winter and again
the following fall. In early 1947, it was
difficult to obtain such milk, and the
quantity shipped in was small. Consider-
ably more was shipped in during the fall,
when supplies were not as short. Seasonal
imports of this type were reported on
many markets, but the volume was large
only in Birmingham, Mobile, and Gadsden.
Condensed skim milk, most of it of
grade A quality, was used to fill the gap
in the winter and fall, when adequate
supplies of whole 
milkwere not available.
The skim milk reconstituted from this
shipped-in condensed skim milk was used
mainly in standardizing. 
It amounted to
more than 40 per cent of all imported milk
in January and February. However, it was
much less important -the next.: fall, when
whole milk was not as scarce as it was
TABLE 1. PRODUCTION of FLUID MILK in ALABAMA and VOLUME of FLUID MILK AVA-LABLE
for ALABAMA MARKETS from the VARIOUS 
SOURCES, by MONTHS, 197 .
AVERAGE QUANTITY PER DAY
FLUID. MILK PRODUCED IN ALABAMA IMPORTED SUPPLIES
NET WHOLE
T OTAL EXPORTS AVAILABLE MILK EMERGENCY RECON.
MONTH PRO-- TO FOR FROM IMPORTS STITUTED TOTAL
DUC- GEORGIA ALABAMA YEAR. OF WHOLE SKIM MILK SUPPLY
TION* AND MARKETS ROUND MILK FOR STAND
FLOR I DA; SOURCES ARDIZING
1,000 1, 000 1,000 1, 000 1, 000 ,.00 1, 000
gallons gallons gallons gallons gallons gallons gallons
January 7 4 53 
7 9 
73
February 61 4 57 8 7 76
March 65 -4 61 9 3 5 78
April 76 5 71 II 
I 2 85
May 85 5 80 . 14 - - 94
June 84 6 78 
15 - - 93
July 83 6 77 I4 - - 9 I
August 78 5 73 12 - - 85
September 72 4 68 II 2 I 82
October 65 4 61 10 5 4 80
November 59 4 55 8 8 6 77
December 59 3 56 8 7 5 76
Average 70 4 66 11 3 3 .83
* Exclusive of milk used on the farms
** From shipped-in condensed skim milk.
where it was produced.
(4)
TABLE 2. PERCENTAGE of -ALABAMA'S FLUID MILK 
SUPPLIES OBTAINED from
VARIOUS SOURCES, by MONTHS, 1947
PERCENTAGE OF TOTAL SUPPLY FROM
MONTH AVAILABLE IMPORTS FROM EMERGENCY RECONSTITUTED
ALABAMA YEARoROUND IMPORTS OF ?SKIM MILK FOR
PRODUCTION* SOURCES WHOLE MILK STANDARDIZING**
Per cent Per cent Per cent Per cent
January 73 10 5 12
February 75 II 5 9
March 78 12 4 6
April 84 13 2
May 85 15
June 84 
16
July 85 
15 -
-
August 86 
14 - -
September 63 14 2 
I
October 76 13 6 5
November 72 10 10 
8
December 74 10 9 
7
Average 80 13 3 4
* Total production in Alabama less net exports to Georgia and Florida.
** From shipped-in condensed skim milk.
earlier in the year. More than two-thirds
of the reconstituted skim milk was used
in Birmingham. Small quantities, however,
were used in a number of other cities.
The total supply of fluid 
milk from
all sources showed less seasonal vari-
ation in relation to its size than either
Alabama production or any one of the three
types of imports. Even at that, however,
the total supply increased from 73,000
gallons per day in January to 94,000 in
May. It continued in excess of 90,000
gallons per day through July. It then
dropped off until in November and Decem-
ber, when the total supply was a little
larger than in January.
The supply picture may be summarized
by considering the seasonal changes in
the share of the milk obtained from the
various sources (Table 2). In January,
February, November, and December, about
three-fourths of the supply originated
in Alabama and approximately one-tenth
came from year-round sources in Tennessee
and Mississippi. During those months,
the balance (roughly one-sixth of the
total) was whole milk and condensed skim
milk brought in to meet the emergency a-
rising from the seasonal drop in year-
round supplies. In March and October,
these emergency imports made up about
one-tenth of the supply. During the 6
months from April through September, in-
clusive, substantially the entire supply
was obtained from year-round sources, with
about five-sixths of it produced within
the state.
AMOUNT of FLUID MILK SOLD
For the year as a whole, the quantity
of fluid milk sold by distributors amount-
to approximately 70,000 gallons per day
(Table 3). Sales varied seasonally, al-
though less than production and in an
almost reverse pattern. Sales were 7 per
cent less during June, July, and August
than during the rest of. the year. This
(5)
TABLE 3. QUANTITY of FLUID MILK SOLD in ALABAMA, and the RELATION
BETWEEN SALES and TOTAL SUPPLIES, by MONTHS, 1947
AVERAGE QUANTITY PER DAY SALES OF FLUID MILK
MONTH FLUID TOTAL SUPPLY IN PERCENTAGE OF
MILK SOLD OF FLUID MILK TOTAL SUPPLY
1,000 gallons 1,000 gallons Per cent
January 69 73 95
February 71 76 93
March 72 78 92
April . 72 85 85
May 72 94 77
June 67 93 
72
July 65 91 
71
August 67 85 
79
September 73 8z 
89
October 74 80 
92
November 71 77 
92
December 69 76 
91
Average 70 
83 84
decline in sales during the summer was
attributed to (1) closing of schools,
(2) increased competition from other bev-
erages, especially iced tea, and (3) to
a lesser extent, vacation-time exodus of
some consumers from the cities during the
summer.
In considering the relation between
the amount of milk sold and supplies,
it is necessary to recognize that, even
when supplies are limited, dealers are
unable to sell all of the fluid milk they
receive. In processing some milk adheres
to containers, some leaks out, and some
is spilled. In distribution, glass bottles
may be 
broken and 
paper containers 
may
leak. Moreover, both sales and receipts
from producers vary from day to day. For
that reason, dealers may find it necessary
to use a little fluid milk in other pro-
ducts instead of selling it as bottled
milk. Allowance also must be made for
any cream removed from 
the milk in stand-
ardizing. Such cream is included in the
,quantity of milk purchased, but not in
the quantity of milk sold. The excess
of supplies needed to cover milk that is
unavailable for distribution for these
various reasons will vary with circum-
stances. Apparently it is seldom much
less than 5 per cent of sales, and under
some conditions it may amount to 10 per
cent or more.
From January through March and from
October through Lecember, distributors
sold more than 90 per cent of the avail-
able supply of fluid milk. During those
periods most distributors were selling
as large a share of their supplies as
they could. In fact, sales were held down
in early 1947 and to some extent in the
fall by the shortage of 
good milk. In
[ecember, however, the decline in sales
was due to closing of schools during the
latter half of the month and perhaps also
to below-normal purchases of milk by some
families who instead spent money for
Christmas.
From May through August, between 70
and 80 per cent of the available milk
was sold as fluid milk. Disposal of sur-
plus milk was a serious problem for many
plants during that period of heavy pro-
duction, much of which was also a period
of reduced sales. Most plants used what
(6)
surplus milk they could in buttermilk
and chocolate drink. Any further surplus
was generally diverted into ice cream or
other manufactured dairy products. In
some cases, surplus milk of that type
brought very low prices.
PRODUCTION and 'SALES in VARIOUS
PARTS of the STATE
Local production available for Ala-
bama markets
6 
and sales were summarized
by areas to point out the differehces
within the state in the relationship be-
tween supplies and the quantity of milk
consumed (Figure 2). For this purpose,
"the state was divided into nine market
areas, each of which consisted of from
4 to 14 counties. In part, the boundaries
of the areas were drawn to coincide with.
those of the var ous type-of-farming
areas in the state . However, other fac-
tors had to be considered also. Important
among them was the need of establishing
the area boundaries along lines over which
a minimum of milk was hauled in unrecorded
quantities. Even with care used in that
respect, the estimates by areas probably
are somewhat less reliable than those
for the state as a o]e.
Area 1, which included all of the
larger cities in th:e Tennessee Valley,
was not self-sufficient in fluid milk
production even in the months of flush
production. Considerable milk came into
the area from year-round sources in Ten-
nessee. These supplies were supplemented
with limited emergency imports of whole
milk and condensed skim milk during the
months of low production.
The situation was much the same in
Area 2, which consisted of 10 counties
in northeastern Alahama, in which the
chief markets were Gadsden and Anniston.
Production in this area and Area 1 showed
considerable seasonal variation, though
less than that in the western part of
the Black Belt (Area 5).
Total production of fluid milk in the area
less any net exports to Georgia or Florida.
Alvord, Ben F. et al, 'Factors Influencing
Alabama Agriculture,' Ala. Agr. Expt. Sta.
Dul. 250, 1941, pp. 65 - 76.
Area 3 included the Birmingham market.
Practically all of the local dairies sup-
plying that market were within the four
counties in that area. ',hile considerable
milk was produced in those four counties,
sales exceeded production by a wider mar-
gin in that area than in any 
other area.
Eirmingham's leading source of milk was
that portion of the Black Pelt west of
Montgomery. For the year as a whole the
Black Belt provided about two-fifths of
the supply of milk available for the
Birmingham market, and about one-eighth
more than Jefferson and adjacent counties.
Even though Birmingham also obtained milk
throughout the year from Mississippi, it
depended heavily upon emergency imports
during the season of low production. In
early 1947, these emergency imports con-
sisted of condensed skim milk of grade A
quality. In the fall, however,- large
quantities of whole milk were brought in
and less reconstituted skim milk was used.
In Area 4, in which Tuscaloosa was th
largest city; local production lacked a
great deal of supplying the markets in
all months of the year. This area drew
much of its milk from the Black Belt and
from year-round sources in Mississippi.
Supplies from these regular sources were
insufficient to take care of the markets
in the fall and winter, when both re-
constituted skim milk and emergency im-
ports of whole milk were used to fill
the gap.
Area 5, which took in a large share
of the Black Belt, produced more milk
than any other area and about one-fourth
of tie fluid milk produced in the state.
Selma was the only important market in
the area. The bulk of the milk from this
area was shipped to Birmingham, Mobile,
and Tuscaloosa. Production 
in the area
more than doubled between January and
June, showing more pronounced seasonal
variation than that in any.other part
of the state.
Montgomery County, which accounted
for the bulk of the production and in-
cluded the principal market of Area 6,
also was a surplus-producing.area, though
by a much narrower margin than Area 5.
Besides furnishing nearly all of the milk
sold in Montgomery and other local mar-
(7)
Gallons per day
(19000)
9
Sales
6-
3
AREAI
0 1 1 1 I
J F M A. MJ J A S 0 N
Gallons per day
(19000)
Gallons per day
(1-9000)
12
fop % Sales Moto
- PrCc
t
io>n
- AREA2
J F M A M J J A S ON 0
Sales %
AREA3
J F M A h J J A S 0 N D
F igu re 2 -- Prod uct ion of Fl u id MilIk Ava il IablIe f or Al]abama Ma rkets and SalJes,
by Months, by Market Areas, 1947
(8)
21
18
12
9
6
3
0
9 em I
Gallons per day
'JvJ
AREA I4
-~ , f Sales
Product ion
J F M A M J J A SOND
Gallons per
(1,000)
12 1
J F MA ~-MJ O
Gallons per day
(19000)
12
/f% Sales
6
AREA 9
3
0 i II
J F M A M J J A S 0 N D
Gal 1c
(19 0(
21
15
12
k Itul
Gallons per day
11,0 
)
61
F AREA 7
JFM A M J JASO0N. D
Gallons per day
(i~oo)AREA 8
0.
J M AM A O
(9)
6
9
Dns pe r da
DO)
Produc tion
AREA 5
Sales
J F 'M AM J J A'S .0 N D
kets throughout the year, producers in
Montgomery County helped to supply Annis-
ton, Dothan, and several smaller markets
in eastern Alabama.
Area 7 included a number of rather
small markets in east central Alabama.
In every month of the year, total pro-
duction in this area exceeded the amount
of milk consumed in the area. However,
the area shipped a large amount of fluid
milk to Columbus, Georgia. The quantity
remaining in the area, after deducting
net exports to Georgia, was sufficient to
take care of sales in the area during the
season of flush production but not during
the winter and fall.
Little fluid milk, as defined in this
report, was produced or sold in Area 8,
which included 14 counties in the south-
eastern part of the state. The supple-
mentary supplies needed in this area were
drawn largely from Montgomery County.
Baldwin County produced considerable
milk that went to Pensacola, Florida.
Production in Area 9 exclusive of those
exports was less than consumption in the
area throughout the year. The Mobile mar-
ket met the deficiency by obtaining large
quantities of milk from the Black Belt
and bringing in emergency supplies of
whole milk from the North Central States
during the first 4 and last 4 months of
the year.
SUMMARY and CONCLUSIONS
In 1947, the shortage of fluid milk
in Alabama was most serious in the first
and last quarters of the year. Fluid milk
production in the state was roughly 40
per cent greater in the late spring and
early summer than in the winter and late
fall. Sales, while less variable, were
about 7 per cent less in the summer than
in the rest of the year. From May through
August, total Alabama production avail-
able for Alabama markets was adequate
to supply all of the fluid milk sold in
the state. However, some markets were
depending in part upon out-of-state sup-
plies at that time, while others had
moderate surpluses of Al4hama milk.
Supplies of milk on Alabama markets
were affected by year-round shipments
to and from adjacent states. A number
of markets obtained milk from year-round
sources in Mississippi and Tennessee, and
there were sizeable year-round movements
of milk out of the state into Georgia and
Florida. The quantity of fluid milk brought
into the state in shipments of this type
was about 2Y times the quantity shipped
out of the state. In fact, for the year
as a whole, imports from year-round 
sources
in Mississippi and Tennessee 
comprised
nearly two-thirds of the fluid milk brought
into the state, and about one-eighth of
the supply available for Alabama markets.
During the fall and winter, supplies
were further supplemented with emergency
imports of 
whole milk 
and condensed 
skim
milk. These seasonal imports constituted
about 17 per cent of the supply of fluid
milk in January and again in November,
but only 7 per cent of the total for the
year.
The ratio of production to consumption
varied widely over the state. The.Black
Belt was the only section that produced
for Alabama markets more milk than it
consumed. Consumption exceeded production
by a wider margin in the area that in-
cluded Birmingham than in any other section
of the state.
In 1947, about one-fourth more Ala-
bama production could have been marketed
at prevailing prices 
for fluid milk in
the winter and late fall in place of
emergency imports of whole and condensed
skim milk. On the other hand, an increase
in production of one-fourth during the
spring and summer would have created a
serious surplus on many markets. Leveling
of production, particularly among herds
that show wide seasonal variation,, appears
to be the most promising solution of the
problem. This adjustment, together with
a moderate overall expansion in 
production,
would eliminate the need for emergency
imports of milk during the fall and winter
without burdening markets with heavy sur-
pluses during the spring and summer.