New Zealand cows produced record milk volumes last season ... even though there were fewer in the paddocks

New figures show a drop of 20 thousand milking cows last season - to a total of 4.9 million.

But they produced nearly two-billion kilos of milk solids ... out of more than 21-billion litres of milk.

It's 560-million litres and 51-million kilograms up on the year before.

DairyNZ Chief Executive Dr Tim Mackle says the figures will provide farmers with some reassurance around developing more efficient farming systems.