Midwest Cheese Market

MD_DA830                                                         
DA                                                               
MD DA830 Cheese - Midwest                                        

MADISON, WI.  January 09, 2013 (REPORT 2)                        

MIDWEST CHEESE:                                                  
                                                                 
Milk is readily available to cheesemakers at "decent prices", but not 
as much below class as the weeks prior to the end of last year.  
There is enough confidence in near future milk supplies that some 
manufacturers are now working on orders for export cheese that will 
be shipped soon.  These export sales are also being pursued by cheese 
manufacturers because domestic cheese orders are more "sluggish" than 
had been expected, possibly because retailers are not fully confident 
about downside market risk.  This week through Wednesday, Barrels are 
down 3 cents to $1.6900 and Blocks down 4 cents to $1.7200.  The 
National Dairy Retail Report found a 37.0% decline in cheese 
advertising volume nationally compared with two weeks ago.  For the 
two most advertised package sizes, the weighted average advertised 
price increased.  The most advertised package size nationally, 8 
ounce shredded with 34.4% of ads, had a 6.5% average price increase 
to $2.47 while the second most advertised size, 8 ounce blocks with 
27.8%, had an 8.7% increase to $2.49.  In Midwest newspapers, 8 ounce 
block ads lead with 31.5%, followed by 8 ounce shredded at 30.9%.  
NASS reported late last week that total cumulative cheese production 
through November, 9.9 billion pounds, was up 2.5% from the same 
period of 2011.  Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) has accepted 10 
requests for export assistance to sell 1.358 million pounds (616 
metric tons) of Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese, for delivery 
January through July 2013.  These are the first CWT-assisted sales of 
the New Year. 

WISCONSIN WHOLESALE SELLING PRICES:  DELIVERED,                  
DOLLARS PER POUND (1000 - 5000 POUNDS MIXED LOTS)                
                                                                 
Process American 5# Loaf                   : 1.9125-2.6175       
Brick And/Or Muenster 5#                   : 2.1475-2.7075       
Cheddar 40# Block                          : 2.1475-3.0200       
Monterey Jack 10#                          : 2.1175-3.0200       
Blue 5#                                    : 2.4125-3.3975       
Mozzarella 5 - 6# (Low Moisture, Part Skim): 1.9925-3.1200       
Grade A Swiss Cuts 6 - 9#                  : 3.3575-3.4750       




1:00 CST eric.graf@ams.usda.gov

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4. Another reason for adults to drink milk
5. Penn State Dairy Team schedules “Tools for Teams” webinars
6. Ag markets generally mixed again Tuesday morning

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6. Chocolate milk a top post-workout food

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