Dairy Markets Week in Review
The cash markets were mixed the first full week in February. Block cheese ended the week at $1.3450 per pound, up 1 1/4-cents, and 11 1/4-cents above that week a year ago. Barrel closed Friday at $1.32, down 5 1/2-cents on the week, but 11 3/4 cents above a year ago. Fourteen cars of block traded hands on the week and 29 of barrel, of which 14 were traded on Friday. The latest NASS-surveyed block price hit $1.2968, down 1.2 cents. Barrel averaged $1.3368, up 0.3 cent.

Butter closed Friday at $1.22, down a half-cent on the week, but 2 cents above a year ago. Only three cars were sold. NASS butter averaged $1.2204, up 0.6 cent. NASS nonfat dry milk averaged $1.0796, down 0.8 cent. Dry whey averaged a record 53.31 cents, up 4.9 cents. Keep in mind, every penny movement on whey equates to about 6 cents on the Class III milk price.

Provided courtesy of Dairyline.