MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Federal statistics show that Wisconsin is still the nation's big cheese.
Wisconsin produced 2.65 billion pounds of cheese last year. That accounted for a nation-best 26 percent of the U.S. cheese output in 2009.
Wisconsin also produced 477 million pounds of specialty cheese last year. That was an increase of 40 million pounds from the previous year, a 9 percent rise.
The state's most popular specialty cheese was Feta. Wisconsin produced nearly 68 million pounds last year, up 3 percent.
Other top products included Hispanic cheeses, Parmesan wheel and specialty Provolone.
The statistics were released this week by the National Agricultural Statistics Service, which is run by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
