MD_DA440  
DA                                                         
MD DA440 BUTTER - WEST                           

MADISON, WI.  March 18, 2015 (REPORT 11)
 
WEST BUTTER:

With fewer retail butter orders for Easter/Passover left to be 
filled and shipped, that demand spike is fading.  Some plants 
are focusing on making butter for re fill orders to be delivered 
after the holidays.  Cream supplies are described as "snug" and 
"tight" in the West, as cream is also in demand for cream 
cheese, sour cream and ice cream manufacturing.   Cream is 
moving into California to maintain churning, which is focused on 
prints.  Some churns are now limited to producing for contract 
orders and tolling, not to accumulate manufacturer inventories.  
Bulk butter pricing in the West this week is 5 cents under to 
even based on the CME Group with various time frames and 
averages used, similar to last week.  The DMN National Retail 
Report-Dairy ads for the week of March 13 - 19, shows the U.S. 
weighted average advertised retail price for a one pound pack of 
butter at $3.26, up $.24 from last week and $.35 higher than one 
year ago.  Butter ad prices averaged $3.42 in the Southwest, 
with a price range $2.99-$3.50, and $2.54 in the Northwest, with 
a price range $1.99-$3.50.  The Grade AA butter price at the CME 
Group on Wednesday closed at $1.6800, down $.0250 from a week 
ago. 


1530CT eric.graf@ams.usda.gov 
USDA/AMS/Dairy Market News, Madison, Wisconsin
Dairy Market News website: www.ams.usda.gov/dairymarketnews
Dairy Market News database portal: 
http://www.marketnews.usda.gov/mnp/da-home