How to Read the USDA Dairy Products Report — Butter, Cheese, Dry Milk and Frozen Products by Month and Year to Date
USDA Dairy Products, U.S. manufacturers' output, August 2026 (released October 5): butter 187 million pounds (+6.3% from a year earlier), cheese excluding cottage 1.25 billion pounds (+1.4%).
Key figures (Dairy Products, October 2026 report for August)
As of 30 October 2026, 02:35 KST; most recently published report: Dairy Products, released October 5, 2026, by the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), covering U.S. dairy product manufacturing in August 2026. The NASS October 2026 calendar lists the October 5 release at 3:00 pm ET; the publication page lists the next releases on November 5 and December 3, 2026, at 3:00 PM without a time zone. Primary source: https://esmis.nal.usda.gov/sites/default/release-files/796094/dary1026.txt[1][2][3]
| Indicator (U.S. production, 1,000 pounds unless noted) | Previous (July 2026) | Current (August 2026) | Change vs previous | Change vs year ago (August 2025) | Evidence type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Butter | 189,113 | 187,363 | -0.9% (published) | +6.3% (published) from 176,312 | levels and % changes: USDA NASS primary statistical record (U.S. production table; changes as published) |
| Total cheese, excluding cottage cheese | 1,263,348 | 1,245,418 | -1.4% (published) | +1.4% (published) from 1,228,182 | levels and % changes: USDA NASS primary statistical record (U.S. production table; changes as published) |
| Italian type cheese | 550,699 | 541,326 | -1.7% (published) | +3.7% (published) from 522,071 | levels and % changes: USDA NASS primary statistical record (U.S. production table; changes as published) |
| American type cheese | 480,089 | 477,038 | -0.6% (published) | -0.9% (published) from 481,321 | levels and % changes: USDA NASS primary statistical record (U.S. production table; changes as published) |
| Nonfat dry milk, human | 165,133 | 132,242 | -19.9% (published) | +9.6% (published) from 120,693 | levels and % changes: USDA NASS primary statistical record (U.S. production table; changes as published) |
| Ice cream, regular, hard (1,000 gallons) | 70,430 | 64,935 | -7.8% (published) | -2.3% (published) from 66,439 | levels and % changes: USDA NASS primary statistical record (U.S. production table; changes as published) |
Comparison basis: levels and percentage changes are as published, with percentages rounded to one decimal; frozen products are in gallons, everything else in pounds. Monthly figures for August 2026 are preliminary. The release, publication page and calendar are all from USDA and count as one source.[1]
In three lines
1. The monthly NASS report gives U.S. manufacturers' production of butter, cheese, dry milk, whey and frozen dairy products, with some stocks and shipments.
2. In August 2026, U.S. butter production was 187 million pounds, 6.3% above August 2025, and total cheese 1.25 billion pounds, 1.4% above.
3. The next reports are listed for November 5 and December 3, 2026.[1][2]
What the report says (in NASS's words)
"Total cheese output (excluding cottage cheese) was 1.25 billion pounds, 1.4 percent above August 2025 but 1.4 percent below July 2026." "Italian type cheese production totaled 541 million pounds, 3.7 percent above August 2025 but 1.7 percent below July 2026." "Butter production was 187 million pounds, 6.3 percent above August 2025 but 0.9 percent below July 2026."[1]
Who reports. "In 2025, there were 1,184 manufacturers that produced one or more dairy products." "In states with large numbers of plants, survey procedures are designed to obtain monthly reports from all large plants and from a sample of small plants." "Production of products at small firms not contacted monthly are estimated during the monthly survey based upon check data, and state and national trends."[1]
Reading in pairs
This month vs year to date. Total cheese in August 2026 was 1.4% above August 2025, and January-August 2026 production of 9,998,787 thousand pounds was 2.3% above the same months of 2025 (9,773,462), as published in the monthly-and-cumulative table.[1]
Production vs stocks and shipments. For nonfat dry milk (human), August 2026 production was 132,242 thousand pounds, manufacturers' shipments of bulk goods 146,739 and end-of-month stocks 216,333; the report publishes all three but does not reconcile them, and stocks are held by manufacturers at all points and in transit.[1]
Census vs sample. "Because the Dairy Products survey is a census, sampling error should not affect the final estimates, however non-sampling errors are possible." In states with many plants, all large plants and a sample of small plants report monthly, and output from small firms not contacted monthly is estimated; this page therefore reads the national figures as estimates from a census of known manufacturers, with some small-firm monthly output estimated.[1]
Regions and withheld states. In August 2026, cheese production in the West region was 4.2% below a year earlier and in the Central region 5.8% above (published); state lines show "Other States" because of the rule: "States not shown when fewer than 3 plants reported or individual plant operations could be disclosed." The report does not explain the regional differences.[1]
Preliminary vs revised. "Monthly estimates are subject to revision the month following the preliminary estimates." "Revisions are generally due to plant data that are received too late to be included in the current report."[1]
Verified facts
Each fact is labelled with its evidence typeEach fact in this section carries its evidence type — either cross-checked against independent sources, or confirmed from a single authoritative record.
U.S. butter production was 187 million pounds in August 2026, 6.3 percent above August 2025 and 0.9 percent below July 2026.[1] 1 source · authoritative record
Total U.S. cheese production, excluding cottage cheese, was 1.25 billion pounds in August 2026, 1.4 percent above August 2025.[1] 1 source · authoritative record
U.S. production of nonfat dry milk for human use was 132 million pounds in August 2026, up 9.6 percent from August 2025.[1] 1 source · authoritative record
U.S. cheese production, excluding cottage cheese, totaled 9,998,787 thousand pounds in January-August 2026, 2.3 percent above 9,773,462 thousand pounds in January-August 2025.[1] 1 source · authoritative record
In August 2026, cheese production was 4.2 percent below a year earlier in the West region and 5.8 percent above in the Central region.[1] 1 source · authoritative record
In 2025, 1,184 U.S. manufacturers produced one or more dairy products, according to NASS.[1] 1 source · authoritative record
The USDA publication page lists the next Dairy Products releases on November 5 and December 3, 2026.[2] 1 source · authoritative record
Statements and readings
Not counted as facts — each item shows what kind of statement it isFrom here on: statements not counted as facts — single-source reports, the issuing body’s own statements, and this page’s own readings, each labeled.
The year-to-date rise in U.S. cheese production through August 2026 (2.3%) was larger than the rise for August alone (1.4%).[1] This page’s own calculation or reading · This page's reading of the monthly-and-cumulative table
Timeline
What this page could not establish
These are questions this page tried to answer and could not. The gaps are left open rather than filled with a guess.- Why did butter production rise 6.3% from a year earlier while American cheese fell 0.9%?
- How much will August 2026 figures change in the November report?
- Model
- claude-opus-5
- Time
- 10/30/2026, 02:38
- Body characters
- 5,048
- Sources
- 3 sources adopted
- Model
- ChatGPT (checked sources on the web)
- Time
- 10/30/2026, 02:45
- Verdict
- Revision required
Show revision history (3)
| 10/30/2026, 09:00 | First authored (claude-opus-5) | Created |
| 10/30/2026 | First version. Read in full the USDA NASS Dairy Products text release of October 5, 2026, including all U.S., monthly-and-cumulative, state and regional tables, region definitions and methodology, plus the publication page and the NASS October 2026 release calendar; quotations are complete sentences matched against the source text. | Updated |
| 10/30/2026 | Revised after review: the census paragraph and FAQ now say that all large plants and a sample of small plants report monthly and that output from small firms not contacted monthly is estimated; nonfat dry milk shipments are named as manufacturers' shipments of bulk goods; the January-August and regional cheese figures are listed as published facts, and only the comparison of the year-to-date and August rises is this page's reading. | Updated |
Frequently asked
How much butter did U.S. manufacturers produce in August 2026?
187 million pounds (187,363 thousand), 6.3% above August 2025 and 0.9% below July 2026, according to the NASS report of October 5, 2026.[1]
How much cheese, excluding cottage cheese, did U.S. plants produce in August 2026?
1.25 billion pounds, 1.4% above August 2025 and 1.4% below July 2026; Italian types were 541 million pounds and American types 477 million.[1]
Are U.S. ice cream figures for August 2026 in pounds or gallons?
Gallons: regular hard ice cream production was 64,935 thousand gallons in August 2026, 2.3% below August 2025; most other products are in pounds.[1]
Does the August 2026 U.S. Dairy Products report count every plant?
NASS describes it as a census of known manufacturers (1,184 in 2025), but in states with many plants, all large plants and a sample of small plants report monthly; output from small firms not contacted monthly is estimated.[1]
Could the August 2026 U.S. dairy production figures be revised?
Yes, the August 2026 estimates are subject to revision the month after the preliminary estimates, generally because of late plant reports, and again in the yearly summary.[1]
What was U.S. nonfat dry milk production, stocks and shipments in August 2026?
Production for human use was 132,242 thousand pounds, manufacturers' shipments of bulk goods 146,739 thousand and manufacturers' end-of-month stocks 216,333 thousand pounds in August 2026.[1]