Dairy Product Output Rose in December

WASHINGTON - Feb 4/05 - SNS -- Output of all types of dairy products manufactured in the United States is above both year earlier and month earlier levels, judging from the latest production data assembled by the USDA.

Total cheese output (excluding cottage cheese) was 772 million pounds, 1.8% above December 2003 and 3.2% above November 2004. American type cheese production totaled 323 million pounds, 0.4% above December 2003 and 7.0% above November 2004.

Butter production was 112 million pounds in December, 2.3% below November 2003 but 14.8% above November 2004.

Frozen dessert: (comparisons with December 2003): Ice cream, Regular (hard) 55.3 million gallons, down 1.4%; Ice cream, Lowfat (total) 26.9 million gallons, up 19.9%; Ice cream, Nonfat (hard) 1.19 million gallons, up 8.5%; Sherbet (hard) 2.92 million gallons, down 9.2%; and Frozen Yogurt (total) 4.16 million gallons, up 6.2%.

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