Wisconsin Remained Top Cheese Producer In 2015

Wisconsin produced the most cheese in the United States in 2015, supplying almost 26 percent of America’s total cheese production.

According to new data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the state produced over 3 billion pounds of cheese.

Greg Bussler, USDA state statistician for Wisconsin, said the state has been the top cheese producer since around 1910.

Despite low dairy prices this year, Bussler said farmers will have to continue producing at the current level to stay competitive.

“I think what may happen with low prices, it may force some of the farmers to get out of the dairy business,” Bussler said. “When prices are tight, whether it’s on milk or crops and so on, you’re going to have to produce as much as you can from the resources you have.”

California took second place for total production but the state saw their numbers decrease in the last year. Bussler said the drought in California has affected the dairy industry.

“If it’s dry and feed isn’t readily available or the quality of feed isn’t as good, that’s going to have an impact on production,” Bussler said.

Even with dry conditions, California continues to be number one in the U.S. for milk production, beating Wisconsin by almost 15 million pounds. The state also had the top butter and ice cream production for 2015.