Dairy Markets Week in Review
Traders in the cash cheese market are leery of the wide price spread between blocks and barrels. The block price actually inched back a quarter-cent the first Friday of December, following a run of gains, and closed at $1.7175 per pound, up 6 3/4-cents on the week and the highest it’s been since December 2008, but still 7 1/4-cents below a year ago.

Barrel closed at $1.46, down a nickel on the week, 28 3/4-cents below a year ago, and 25 3/4-cents below the blocks. Fifteen cars of block traded hands on the week and seven of barrel. The NASS U.S. average block price hit $1.5577, up 1.7 cents. Barrel averaged $1.4985, down 0.3 cent.

Butter closed Friday at $1.45, down 7 1/2-cents on the week but 19 1/4-cents above a year ago when butter melted down 24 1/4-cents, on its way to $1.11 the following week. Forty cars were sold in the first week of December. NASS butter averaged $1.4906, up 1.3 cents.

Cash Grade A nonfat dry milk closed at $1.4075, up three quarters on the week, while Extra Grade held all week at $1.40. NASS powder averaged $1.2048, up 3.1 cents, and dry whey averaged 35.35 cents, up 0.2 cent. Some question the discrepancy between the CME powder prices and the NASS surveyed prices.

Provided courtesy of Dairyline.