Dairy Markets Week in Review

Strength continued in the cash cheese market in Chicago the second week of November, with block adding another 6 3/4-cents and closing Friday at
$1.7175 per pound, but that’s still 43 1/4-cents below a year ago when block jumped 9 1/2 cents. Barrel closed Friday at $1.6950, up 5 3/4-cents on the week, but 33 1/2-cents below a year ago. Thirty five cars of block traded hands on the week and only one of barrel. The NASS-surveyed block average hit $1.7713, down 5.2 cents. Barrel averaged $1.7683, down 9.2 cents.

Butter traders were asleep most of the week with the Friday closing unchanged at $1.6350, but 26 cents above a year ago. Only six cars were sold. NASS butter averaged $1.6654, down 4.6 cents. NASS nonfat dry milk averaged 85.65 cents, down 5.3 cents. Dry whey averaged 18.63 cents, down
0.4 cent.

Cash Grade A and Extra Grade nonfat dry milk closed Friday at 90 1/4-cents per pound, down 5 3/4-cents on the week. Uncle Sam must have a lot of holiday baking planned as he purchased another 11.4 million pounds of powder this week under the price support program, pushing the years total purchases to 58.1 million.