UNDATED (WSAU)   Wisconsin cheese-makers continue to out-perform the rest of the country.

According to new government figures, Wisconsin made 3.9-percent more cheese in September than a year ago – while the national increase was only three-tenths of a percent.

Wisconsin remains the national leader in cheese production. The state’s factories accounted for 26-percent of the total national cheese output of 871 million pounds in September. California, the country’s leading milk producer, has struggled this year – and its total cheese production fell by another 6-percent of 170-million pounds. That’s 60-million less than Wisconsin. Idaho is third, followed by New York and New Mexico.

Wisconsin’s cheddar and Italian cheeses both had a 3.3-percent increase from a year ago. The state’s production of American cheese had a 1.7-percent hike.