MD_DA410
DA
MD DA410 BUTTER - NORTHEAST 

MADISON, WI.   March 22, 2017 (Report 12)   

Butter producers are still churning heavily to exhaust surplus cream 
supplies. In nearly all production instances, butter output is in 
excess of producers' current needs, adding to inventory growth. Some 
operations have moved away from unsalted butter production runs, as 
foreign markets remain sluggish. For a few producers, orders for the 
balance of the holiday season have been placed, while not necessarily 
shipped. Interest for both bulk and print butter is good to mixed, as 
holiday orders improve. Food service demand is moderate to light. The 
market anticipates a boost from the restaurant sector as the spring 
holiday activities unfolds. Sources indicate that domestic bulk butter 
sales range 4 to 6 cents over the CME Group, based on various time 
frames and averages used. The market undertone remains unsettled to 
weak. Tuesday, the CME Group cash trading saw Grade AA butter prices 
close at $2.1200, down $0.0600 from a week ago closing price. 
According to the DMN National Retail Report-Dairy, for March 17-23, 
2017, the Northeast weighted average retail price for 1-pound butter 
was $3.55, 31 cents higher than the national average price, and 34 
cents higher than last week's Northeast average butter price. Retail 
markets in the region reported butter prices ranging $2.69-$4.99. 


1100CT daniel.johnson@ams.usda.gov 608.422.8605
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