HDR1012000160050523970830CHEDDAR CHEESE PRICES Cheddar Cheese Prices National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released May 23, 1997, by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Agricultural Statistics Board, U.S. Department of Agriculture. For information on "Cheddar Cheese Prices" call Kevin Hintzman at (202) 720-4448, office hours 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET. Block Prices Steady, Barrel Prices Continue to Decline The prices received by the manufacturers' of 40 lb. blocks remained virtually unchanged for the week ending May 16 at $1.1591. Barrel prices declined another 2.18 cents to $1.1309. Data Reliability: The survey collects price information on bulk sales of natural, unaged, Cheddar cheese at the first (wholesale) point of sale. Data are recorded for sales transactions completed during the survey week. A transaction is considered complete when cheese is shipped out or title transfers. The 65 plants reporting account for an estimated 85 percent of bulk, natural Cheddar cheese sales. Estimates for the previous two months are subject to revision. * * * * * * * * * The next "Cheddar Cheese Prices" report will be released at 8:30 A.M. ET on May 30, 1997. Subscription Information To subscribe to NASS reports or to single copies, call toll free, 1-800-999-6779. You may write: ERS/NASS, 341 Victory Drive, Herdon, Va. Da 1-1 (5-97) Cheddar Cheese Prices by Style and Region -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Week Ending Style and Region :----------------------------------------------------------- : May 16, : May 9, : May 2, : Apr 25, : Apr 18, : 1997 : 1997 1/ : 1997 1/ : 1997 1/ : 1997 1/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 40 Lb. Blocks: : Dol./Lb. Avg. Price 2/ : : MN/WI : 1.1817 1.1987 1.2089 1.2614 1.2986 West 3/ : 1.1466 1.1455 1.1873 1.2237 1.2485 US 4/ : 1.1591 1.1584 1.1928 1.2345 1.2621 : Sales Volume 5/ : Pounds : MN/WI : 1,752,036 1,172,221 973,957 1,142,779 1,103,480 West 3/ : 3,919,316 4,175,221 3,808,748 3,636,084 3,459,990 US 4/ : 5,870,299 5,506,953 5,013,807 4,990,431 4,735,112 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 640 Lb. Blocks: : Dol./Lb. Avg. Price 2/ : : US : 1.1624 1.1649 1.2125 1.2334 1.2750 : Sales Volume 5/ : Pounds : US : 1,687,800 1,869,346 671,192 971,574 1,009,740 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 500 Lb. Barrels: : Dol./Lb. Avg. Price 2/ : : MN/WI : 1.2144 1.2386 1.2594 1.2893 1.3234 Oth : 1.2226 1.2284 1.2562 1.2819 1.3094 US : 1.2175 1.2339 1.2581 1.2862 1.3184 : Adj. Price to : 39 % Moisture : : MN/WI : 1.1280 1.1543 1.1779 1.2021 1.2299 Oth : 1.1357 1.1508 1.1749 1.1943 1.2263 US : 1.1309 1.1527 1.1767 1.1989 1.2286 : Sales Volume 5/ : Pounds : MN/WI : 5,262,209 3,535,334 3,979,617 3,910,990 4,123,472 Oth : 3,264,810 2,992,146 2,674,694 2,709,685 2,310,858 US : 8,527,019 6,527,480 6,654,311 6,620,675 6,434,330 : Moisture Content : Percent : MN/WI : 34.32 34.54 34.78 34.57 34.36 Oth : 34.34 34.89 34.78 34.53 34.87 US : 34.33 34.70 34.78 34.55 34.54 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1/ Revised. 2/ Prices weighted by volumes reported. 3/ CA, ID, OR, and WA. 4/ "Other Regions" included in U.S. total. 5/ Cheese sales where price could be established and reported to NASS. Cheddar Cheese Prices Agricultural Statistics Board May 1997 2 NASS, USDA