U.S. cheese production saw its first decline in 17 years in 2001, dropping almost 98 million lbs., or 1.2 percent, to 8.15 billion, U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates show, but market experts characterize the drop as an aberration, not a trend.
Wisconsin accounted for two-thirds of the drop in output, and that was a direct reflection of declining milk production, according to market analyst Jerry Dryer, president of J/D/G Consulting in Chicago. "If Mother Nature cooperates, milk production should be up 2.5 percent this year," which will lead to increased cheese production this year, he says.