MD_DA810                                                         
DA                                                               
MD DA810 Cheese - Northeast                                      

MADISON, WI.  April 19, 2017 (REPORT 16)                         
                                                                 
NORTHEAST WHOLESALE CHEESE:                                      
                                                                 
In the Northeast region, manufacturing plants are actively producing 
cheese. Production is ongoing in a large portion of the region. With 
heavy milk volumes, cheese plants continue to fill their intakes at 
capacity with milk. Cheese stocks are long and the market undertone is 
fair. In recent news, with Canada's current plan to cut off the import 
of ultra-filtered milk from American producers, state agriculture 
officials have contacted the U.S. Department of Agriculture to assist 
the dairy farmers who have lost a market for their milk. The state 
agriculture officials gave ideas to USDA to help producers by 
purchasing cheese in storage and apportion it out through nutritional 
aid programs. This week, a cooperative export assistance program accepted 
15 requests for export assistance to sell 2.335 million pounds (1,059 
metric tons) of cheese. Last week at the CME Group, barrel cheese weekly 
averages decreased $0.0330 and block weekly averages decreased $0.0305. 
With the result of the CME weekly averages, there is a downward shift in 
the East wholesale cheese prices for blocks, $-.0300, process slices, $-
.0325 and Muenster, $-.0300. Tuesday's CME Group daily cash prices saw 
barrels close at $1.4200, down $0.0075 from a week ago; blocks closed 
at $1.4750, up $0.0150 from a week ago. The DMN National Retail 
Report-Dairy, for April 14-20, 2017, noted the Northeast weighted 
average advertised price for 8 oz. cheese blocks was $2.23, 9 cents 
below the national average, with a regional price range of $1.79-
$3.50. The Southeast 8 oz. block average price was $2.22, 10 cents 
below the national average, with a regional price range of $1.67-
$2.50. The Northeast average advertised price for 8 oz. cheese shreds 
was $2.42, 11 cents above the national average price, with a regional 
price range of $1.99-$3.49. In the Southeast, the average price for 8 
oz. shreds was $2.36, 5 cents above the national average, with prices 
ranging $1.67-$2.50. 

WHOLESALE SELLING PRICES: DELIVERED,                             
DOLLARS PER POUND (1000 - 5000 POUNDS MIXED LOTS)                
                                                                 
Cheddar 40# Block                            : 1.9275-2.2125     
Process 5# Sliced                            : 1.5650-2.0450     
Muenster                                     : 1.9125-2.2625     
Grade A Swiss Cuts 10 - 14#                  : 3.3100-3.6325     

1100CT Jessica.Mueller@ams.usda.gov 608.422.8589
USDA/AMS/Dairy Market News, Madison, Wisconsin
Dairy Market News website: http://www.ams.usda.gov/market-news/dairy
Dairy Market News database portal: 
http://www.marketnews.usda.gov/mnp/da-home