Market News

Cash cheese drops

Cheese prices dropped on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange on Thursday.  Barrels lost 8 cents while blocks fell 21.25 cents.  A couple of uncovered offers setting the prices.  Cash butter lost 9 cents.  Class III futures responded accordingly with November losing 73 cents, December dropped 57 cents and January fell 44 cents.

Milk production is strong in the Central U.S., Dairy Market News says dairy herds are growing and milk plants are reaching capacity.  A little different story in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and Southeast states were production is flat.  Florida imported 160 loads this week, same as last week.  Bottling plants in the Southeast are busy as orders are strong.  In the West: California production is steady as weather conditions are favorable across the Central Valley.  New Mexico and Arizona production is steady to a little higher.

Dairy cow slaughter in the United States in September totaled 238,000 head, 9,000 more than in August and 21,000 less than September of 2013.  January-through-September saw 2.089 million dairy cows slaughtered under federal inspection; 253,000 less than in the same period in 2013.

Dairy cow slaughter for the week ending October 4 was 53,900; 6,900 less than sent to slaughter the previous week.