Most U.S. dairy products had higher production in March

In March, the USDA’s National Ag Statistics Service reported an overall increase in the production of several dairy products compared to February. Cheese production, excluding cottage cheese, reached 1.23 billion pounds, a 11.7% increase from February but a slight 0.2% decrease from the previous year. Butter production also saw a 9.5% increase from February. However, the production of nonfat dry milk and lactose also rose by 4.4% and 2.3% respectively, while skim milk powder production fell by 16.1%. Additionally, the production of hard ice cream, whey protein concentrate, and lactose all saw slight increases, whereas the production of low-fat ice cream, sherbet, and frozen yogurt experienced significant decreases compared to the previous year. Wisconsin and California continue to lead in cheese production, contributing to nearly 43% of the total U.S. cheese production.