MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Dairy farmers in Wisconsin and Minnesota had an especially strong month in November.

Milk production in both states increased 5 percent compared to their output in November 2012. No other state showed as large an increase, and the increase nationwide was just 1 percent.

Wisconsin dairy farmers harvested 2.2 billion pounds in November. That was an increase of 99 million pounds from the same month a year earlier.

In Minnesota, 739 million pounds were harvested in November, an improvement of 22 million pounds.

Wisconsin is the nation’s second-leading producer of milk behind California. Dairy farmers in the Golden State harvested 3.3 billion pounds, but that was a 2 percent decrease from the year-ago period.

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