Da 2-8 (12-08) Dairy Products Prices National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released December 12, 2008, by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Agricultural Statistics Board, U.S. Department of Agriculture. For information on "Dairy Products Prices" call Joe Gaynor at 202-690-2168, office hours 7:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET. Dairy Products Prices Highlights Cheddar Cheese prices received for US 40 pound Blocks averaged $1.75 per pound for the week ending December 6. The price per pound increased 5.4 cents from the previous week. The price for US 500 pound Barrels adjusted to 38 percent moisture averaged $1.82 per pound, up 8.5 cents from the previous week. Butter prices received for 25 kilogram and 68 pound boxes meeting USDA Grade AA standards averaged $1.42 per pound for the week ending December 6. The U.S. price per pound decreased 11.8 cents from the previous week. Nonfat Dry Milk prices received for bag, tote and tanker sales meeting USDA Extra Grade or USPH Grade A standards averaged $0.85 per pound for the week ending December 6. The U.S. price per pound decreased 2.0 cents from the previous week. Dry Whey prices received for bag, tote and tanker sales meeting USDA Extra Grade standards averaged 17.3 cents per pound for the week ending December 6. The U.S. price per pound decreased 1.3 cents from the previous week. Cheddar Cheese Prices by Style and Region -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Week Ending Style and Region :----------------------------------------------------------- : Dec 6, : Nov 29, : Nov 22, : Nov 15, : Nov 8, : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Dol./Lb. 40 Lb. Blocks : Avg. Price 1/ : MN/WI : 1.8438 1.7926 1.7932 1.7363 1.8467 Oth Sts : 1.7381 1.6872 1.6669 1.6806 1.7670 US : 1.7469 1.6927 1.6731 1.6840 1.7713 : : Pounds Sales Volume 2/ : MN/WI : 1,013,897 594,252 643,610 759,024 612,940 Oth Sts :11,144,656 10,838,105 12,401,569 11,604,535 10,503,385 US :12,158,553 11,432,357 13,045,179 12,363,559 11,116,325 : : Dol./Lb. 500 Lb. Barrels : Avg. Price 1/ : MN/WI : 1.8614 1.8215 1.7831 1.7734 1.8433 Oth Sts : 1.9206 1.8238 1.7629 1.7686 1.8651 US : 1.9020 1.8229 1.7727 1.7707 1.8556 : Price Adj. to : 38% Moisture : MN/WI : 1.7963 1.7491 1.7134 1.6978 1.7603 Oth Sts : 1.8367 1.7326 1.6837 1.6859 1.7745 US : 1.8241 1.7393 1.6981 1.6911 1.7683 : : Pounds Sales Volume 2/ : MN/WI : 4,677,791 3,582,029 4,728,421 3,970,038 4,480,653 Oth Sts :10,254,683 5,146,095 5,021,857 5,059,363 5,812,810 US :14,932,474 8,728,124 9,750,278 9,029,401 10,293,463 : : Percent Moisture Content : MN/WI : 35.75 35.43 35.48 35.24 35.08 Oth Sts : 35.17 34.74 35.09 34.96 34.83 US : 35.35 35.02 35.27 35.08 34.94 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1/ Prices weighted by volumes reported. 2/ Sales as reported by participating manufacturers. Butter Prices -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Week Ending Region :----------------------------------------------------------- : Dec 6, : Nov 29, : Nov 22, : Nov 15, : Nov 8, : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Dol./Lb. Avg. Price 1/ : US : 1.4197 1.5379 *1.5901 1.6358 1.6679 : : Pounds Sales Volume 2/ : US : 2,834,177 2,331,900 *3,030,315 3,355,312 3,282,914 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised. 1/ Prices weighted by volumes reported. 2/ Sales as reported by participating manufacturers. Nonfat Dry Milk Prices -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Week Ending Region :----------------------------------------------------------- : Dec 6, : Nov 29, : Nov 22, : Nov 15, : Nov 8, : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Dol./Lb. Avg. Price 1/ : US : 0.8523 *0.8726 0.8511 *0.8669 *0.8584 : : Pounds Sales Volume 2/ : US :25,581,676 *18,449,180 *26,352,026 *23,686,796 *29,815,957 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised. 1/ Prices weighted by volumes reported. 2/ Sales as reported by participating manufacturers. Dry Whey Prices -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Week Ending Region :----------------------------------------------------------- : Dec 6, : Nov 29, : Nov 22, : Nov 15, : Nov 8, : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Dol./Lb. Avg. Price 1/ : US : 0.1733 0.1861 0.1910 0.1931 0.1863 : : Pounds Sales Volume 2/ : US :11,388,302 7,386,881 9,557,957 10,226,606 10,826,833 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1/ Prices weighted by volumes reported. 2/ Sales as reported by participating manufacturers. Procedures and Reliability: The Weekly Dairy Product Prices program consists of 92 qualifying manufacturing plants. There are 11 plants in the Atlantic Region, 26 plants in the East North Central Region, 3 plants in the South Central Region, 34 plants in the West Region, and 18 plants in the West North Central Region. Plants that report for multiple commodities are only counted once. Price information included in this report is provided each week by manufacturers of these products. Data are collected by fax and electronic mail each week for the previous week. Price information collected is for the (wholesale) point of sale for: 1) Natural, unaged cheddar cheese in 40 pound blocks and 500 pound barrels. 2) Boxes of butter meeting USDA Grade AA standards, 80% butterfat, salted, fresh or storage. 3) USDA Extra Grade edible nonhygroscopic dry whey. 4) USDA Extra Grade and USPH Grade A, nonfortified nonfat dry milk. A transaction is complete when the product is "shipped out" and title transfers. Resales of purchased product, forward pricing and intra-company sales are excluded. Revision Policy: Price data for the prior 4 weeks are subject to revision. 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