MD_DA104                                                         
DA                                                               
MD DA104 Butter/Butteroil - Europe                               

MADISON, WI.  March 31, 2016 (REPORT 13)                         

WESTERN EUROPE                                                   
INFORMATION GATHERED  03/21/2016 - 04/01/2016                    
U.S. DOLLARS PER METRIC TON, FOB PORT                            
                                                                 
WESTERN EUROPE                                                   
                                                                 
BUTTER/BUTTEROIL:                                                

                      
Butter prices are stable. The current pricing range is $700-$900 MT 
below the price range one year ago, $3,250-$3,600 MT. Even only 
considering 2016, the current butter price range is $400-$400 MT 
lower than the first week of January. Retail packaged butter sales in 
the EU have been lively leading into March religious holidays. The 
coming asparagus season in Germany and some other EU nations, is 
expected to help maintain good retail demand. According to CLAL, the 
volume of the top butter importer during January 2016, China, was 
14,807 MT, up 83% from January 2015. However, the percentage of that 
butter which originated in the EU declined from 6% in January 2015, 
to 5% in January 2016. The EU ranked second in global butter and 
butteroil exports during January 2016, exporting 19,422 MT, up 52% 
from January 2015. EU butter production in January 2016 compared with 
January 2015 was +5.7%. Among top EU butter producing nations, the 
January 2016 share of total EU butter production compared with the 
share in January 2015 was: France -2.8%; Germany +1.9%; and 
Netherlands +15.8%.

                                                                 
82% BUTTERFAT:            2,550 - 2,700                          
99% BUTTERFAT:            3,475 - 3,950    


0930c Eric.Graf@ams.usda.gov 608.557.7005
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