New figures have confirmed that the Dairy State put out more cheese and other dairy products than any other state during the past calendar year. According to the USDA’s National Ag Statistics Service, Wisconsin produced an all-time high of 3.47 billion pounds of cheese varieties in 2021–about 11 percent more than the previous year’s total.
There were 188 dairy plants in production during 2021, which was seven fewer than a year earlier.
The report shows that total production of American, Italian, Muenster, and Hispanic cheeses were up last year in Wisconsin, while the output of Cheddar, Mozzarella, and other types of varieties fell. Dry whey production was also higher.
Meanwhile, total U.S. cheese production was 13.7 billion pounds, up 3.5 percent from 2020 levels. Wisconsin accounted for 25.3 percent of the nation’s production.
The state’s agriculture department is expected to release statistics on last year’s specialty cheese production this week.
Source: Wisconsin Ag Connection