Farm milk prices keep inching higher. The Agriculture Department announced the July Federal order Class III price at $13.74 per hundredweight, up 12 cents from June and $3.77 above July 2009. That pulls the 2010 average to $13.60, up from $10.16 a year ago, and compares to $18.25 in 2008. The Class IV price is $15.75, up 30 cents from June and $5.60 above a year ago.

The NASS-surveyed cheese price averaged $1.4567 per pound, up a penny from June. Butter averaged $1.7375, up 14.3 cents. Nonfat dry milk averaged $1.2277, down 3.5 cents, and dry whey averaged 36.41cents, down a half cent.

Cash dairy product prices remain strong however cheese may be showing a little weakness. The blocks closed the last week of July at $1.6025 per pound, unchanged following six weeks of gain, but 31 3/4-cents above a year ago. Barrel closed at $1.5575, down a quarter-cent on the week, but 29 3/4-cents above a year ago. Six cars of block traded hands on the week and eight of barrel. The lagging NASS-surveyed U.S. average block price gained 6.3 cents, hitting $1.4999. Barrel averaged $1.5110, up 3.4 cents.

Butter gained a penny and a half, closing Friday at $1.8150, up 57 cents from a year ago. Nine cars were sold. NASS butter averaged $1.7713, up 2.8 cents.NASS powder averaged $1.1865, down 4.7 cents, and dry whey averaged 36.21 cents, up 0.1 cent.

Provided courtesy of Dairyline.