MD_DA440 Butter - Western U.S. Report 48 - Released on December 01, 2021 Cream inventories are available to meet production demand in the West. Some contacts are, reportedly, sending loads of cream to other regions with less availability. Cream demand is strong. A shortage of truck drivers is causing delays to loads of cream and butter throughout the region. Demand for butter in both retail and food service markets is steady. International purchasers are looking to the U.S. for loads of butter to meet current market demands. Spot availability of butter is limited. Stakeholders say that unsalted butter inventories are currently tighter than salted. Butter producers are running busy schedules, though some production schedules are being limited by delays to production supplies and a shortage of labor. Bulk butter overages range from 3.0 to 15.0 cents over the CME market price. Prices for: Western U.S., All First Sales, F.O.B., Grade AA, Conventional, and Edible Butter Bulk Basis Pricing - 80% Butterfat $/LB: +0.0300 - +0.1500 Information for the period November 29 - December 3, 2021, issued weekly Published by: Dairy Market News - Madison, WI ROMAN CARAMAN, 608-422-8593 Email: roman.caraman@usda.gov Additional Dairy Market News Information: Dairy Market News (DMN) by Phone: (608)422-8602 DMN Website: https://www.ams.usda.gov/market-news/dairy DMN MARS (My Market News): https://mymarketnews.ams.usda.gov