MD_DA851
DA
MD DA851 CHEESE HIGHLIGHTS 

MADISON, WI   February 27, 2015   (REPORT 8)

More milk is going into cheese than would be typical at 
this time during recent years.  Even with expectations of 
more milk production to handle soon during the Spring 
flush, cheese markets have been quite stable.  The 
potential impact of uncertainty involving near future 
cheese production is minimized for the present as markets 
seem to reflect a comfortable balance between demand and 
supply of cheese.  Manufacturers have strong cheese 
production schedules and cheese buyers are stepping up and 
adding to inventory levels.  Buying interest is spread 
between retail buyers, brokers and resellers, as well as 
cut and wrap operations.  Cheese is going into inventories 
for retail sale as well as aging programs.  Inventories of 
domestic foreign type cheese have been increasing.  
European aged cheese varieties are in short supply and slow 
to rebuild, because of the slowdown in milk production.  
According to FAS, U.S. imports of high tier and quota 
Italian-type cheese for January totaled 1.8 million pounds, 
up 14% compared to January 2014. Friday in CME Group 
trading, barrels closed at $1.4925, up $.0075 from last 
Friday and 40# blocks closed at $1.5450, unchanged from 
last Friday.


1200CT  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