Commercial disappearance of dairy products during the first 11 months of 2012 totaled 185.8 billion lbs., 2.1% above the same period of 2011, and surpassing total U.S. milk production (183.5 billion lbs.) and total U.S. marketings (182.6 billion lbs.) for the period.
Beginning commercial stocks (10.98 billion lbs.) and imports (3.16 billion lbs.) added to the total available for commercial disappearance. Comparing disappearance levels with year earlier levels: butter was unchanged at 1.65 billion lbs.; American cheese was up +2.2%, at 4.02 billion lbs.; other cheese was up +1.9%, at 6.21 billion lbs.; nonfat dry milk was up 21.6%, at 1.66 billion lbs.; and and fluid milk products were down -1.7%, at 48.41 billion lbs.
Source: Dairy Market News