Cumulative cheese production for 2015 is ahead of a year earlier but butter is slightly behind by less than 0.5%.
Total cheese production for December was up 1.2%. Cumulative cheese production for 2015 is up 2.4% on 2014 volumes.
American types were up 0.7% in December compared to a year ago with cheddar up 1.5% and other American types pulling production back down by 1.6%. Cumulative American type production for 2015 is up 2.3% on 2014 volumes.
Italian types were up 3.1% in December with the main type, mozzarella, up 2.6%.
Jerry Dryer, chief market analyst at Rice Dairy, said the November production of mozzarella cheese was revised up in the latest report by 16.6 million pounds.
“Rather than being down 2% in November, mozzarella production was up 3% for the month.
“Unless inventory data are also revised higher, this suggests stronger sales,” Dryer said.
Cumulative Italian cheese production for 2015 is up 2.3% on 2014 volumes with mozzarella up 1.3%.
Butter production during December was strong with volumes up 4.3% compared to a year ago to 177m pounds. November production of butter was up 4.7% making November and December the highest increases on year ago levels seen in the past 12 months. Cumulative butter production for 2015 ended the year 0.4% behind 2014 volumes.
Non-fat, dry milk powders were down 10.2% compared to a year earlier to 147m pounds and skimmed milk powders up 5.1% to 45.4m pounds.
Dry whey was up 25.1% to 94m pounds but lactose and whey protein concentrate were down by 5.2% and 14.8% respectively.
