California produced 18 percent of the nation s cheese last year. Cheddar cheese production posted the largest increases last year in both percentage and poundage terms. Cheddar output totaled 497.1 million pounds, up 16.3 percent, or almost 70 million pounds, from 1999. California s Cheddar output has now more than doubled since 1993, when it totaled 241.2 million pounds. Thanks to that surge in output in recent years, Cheddar accounted for 33.2 percent of California s total cheese production last year, up from 30.4 percent in 1999, 29.9 percent in 1997 and 20.6 percent in 1993.
Mozzarella is still the most important single cheese variety in California.
Last year, the state s Mozzarella production totaled a record 678.4 million pounds, up 3.4 percent from 1999. Mozzarella accounted for 45.3 percent of California s cheese production last year, down from 46.7 percent in 1999. Other Italian cheeses accounted for 3.03 percent of California s cheese output last year, down from 3.2 percent in 1999. Monterey output accounted for 10.9 percent of California s cheese production last year, down from 12.1 percent in 1999. Hispanic cheese output accounted for 4.4 percent of California s cheese production last year, up from 4.2 percent in 1999.