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California Milk Output Down 9% in November on Bird Flu Outbreak

A dairy farm in Porterville, California. (Eric Thayer/Bloomberg)

(Bloomberg) -- California’s milk production in November plummeted as a bird flu outbreak spreads rapidly among herds in the country’s biggest dairy state.

The state produced just under three billion pounds of milk in November, down 9.2% from the same month last year, the US Department of Agriculture said in a Thursday report. Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency on Wednesday to expedite its response to the outbreak, which has affected about 650 dairy herds.

Estimated national milk production fell 1% year-over-year, with the losses in California partly offset by higher output in states like Texas and Idaho.

Class III milk futures traded in Chicago surged to the highest intraday price since late October on Tuesday, before paring.

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