News

February cheese, butter production up on year

The USDA says cheese production during February was up 3.7% on the year at 1.028 billion pounds. American type production was 6.1% higher at 415.025 million pounds, while Italian type cheese was up 1.8% at 449.242 million and Hispanic type cheese production was 1.2% lower at 26.971 million pounds. Butter production was 8.9% above a year ago at 179.239 million pounds.

Nonfat dry milk for human consumption was pegged at 156.128 million pounds, 1.5% higher, with skim milk powder at 40.434 million pounds, a jump of 13.5%. Dry whey totaled 76.490 million pounds, an increase of 2.1%, with lactose for human and animal consumption at 87.173 million pounds, a decrease of 11.1% and whey protein concentrate at 36.036 million pounds, 8.3% lower.

Regular ice cream came out at 51.790 million pounds, down 0.6%, with lowfat at 32.689 million pounds, up 1.4%.

The 2019 dairy product production totals are out on the 27th.