Cheese Producers News: Northeastern U.S. Consumer Pricing Trends as of 2023-09-20
Strong milk volumes and cooler temperatures create uptick in cheese production
Strong milk volumes continue to drive Class I operations, and retailers have seen steady demand for cheese products. Cheeses such as cheddar and mozzarella are in high demand due to persistent foodservice orders. Recent reports estimate that 6-8-ounce packages of shredded cheese weighed in at a national weighted average advertised price of $2.54 across the country – up from $2.49 the week prior.
In the Northeast, the weighted average advertised price of shredded cheese is $2.25. Meanwhile, the market prices of cheese blocks on industry cash exchanges dipped from $1.91 to $1.88 last week.
Grade A Swiss Prices Unchanged
Wholesale prices for cheddar and muenster dropped by $0.05 while process cheese prices jumped by $0.04 in the Northeast. Grade A Swiss prices, however, stayed the same.
The chart above displays the price points for different grades of cheese, based on data from the week of September 18- 22, 2023.
Cooperative Export Assistance Program Accepts Requests
This week, a cooperative export assistance program accepted requests for the export of 974,000 pounds (or 442 metric tons) of American-type cheese and 190,000 pounds (or 86 metric tons) of cream cheese. So far this year, the program has assisted member cooperatives with contracts to sell 35.2 million pounds of American-type cheese and 6.9 million pounds of cream cheese in export markets.
For more information on how the dairy and cheese industry can be affected by changes in market conditions, or for further questions regarding the Northeast Wholesale Selling Prices, Delivered, for 1,000 - 5,000 lbs mixed lots, please contact Janet.Linder@ams.usda.gov // (608)422-8588.
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