Cheddar Cheese Prices National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released September 25, 1998, by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Agricultural Statistics Board, U.S. Department of Agriculture. For information on "Cheddar Cheese Prices" call Shawn Clark at (202) 720-9168, office hours 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET. Cheddar Cheese Prices Increase Prices received for US 40 lb. Block Cheddar cheese increased 1.6 cents per pound for the week ending September 18, 1998. This is the eighth consecutive week that the US 40 lb. Block price has averaged greater than $1.60 per lb. The price of US 500 lb. Barrels increased 6.8 cents per pound. This is the first time since this price series began that the US 500 lb. Barrel price has averaged greater than $1.60 per lb. Data Reliability: The survey collects price information on 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 67 plants reporting account for an estimated 85 percent of natural Cheddar cheese sales. Estimates for the prior 4 weeks are subject to revision. The next "Cheddar Cheese Prices" report will be released at 8:30 a.m. ET on October 2, 1998. Only electronic subscriptions are available for this report. Print copies are available at USDA, Room 5829, SO. Bldg. This report is also available on autofax at (202) 720-2000. For Internet access, go to the NASS Home Page at: http://www.usda.gov/nass/. Da 2-8 (9-98) Cheddar Cheese Prices by Style and Region -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Week Ending Style and Region :----------------------------------------------------------- : Sep 18, : Sep 11, : Sep 4, : Aug 28, : Aug 21, : 1998 : 1998 1/ : 1998 1/ : 1998 : 1998 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Dol./Lb. 40 Lb. Blocks : Avg. Price 2/ : MN/WI : 1.6964 1.6795 1.6713 1.6801 1.6750 West 3/ : 1.6340 1.6279 1.6258 1.6270 1.6282 US 4/ : 1.6597 1.6436 1.6403 1.6433 1.6421 : : Pounds Sales Volume 5/ : MN/WI : 2,304,550 1,716,597 1,563,636 1,830,235 1,455,807 West 3/ : 3,690,539 4,378,190 3,952,136 4,784,293 4,259,665 US 4/ : 6,118,433 6,176,702 5,606,511 6,793,436 5,919,724 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Dol./Lb. 640 Lb. Blocks : Avg. Price 2/ : US : 1.6482 1.6246 1.6169 1.6500 1.6593 : : Pounds Sales Volume 5/ : US : 526,935 770,368 921,834 827,856 808,910 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Dol./Lb. 500 Lb. Barrels : Avg. Price 2/ : MN/WI : 1.7327 1.6764 1.6032 1.5864 1.6016 Oth : 1.7038 1.6198 1.5627 1.5613 1.5654 US : 1.7127 1.6377 1.5765 1.5713 1.5787 : Price Adj. to : 39% Moisture : MN/WI : 1.6559 1.5924 1.5242 1.5086 1.5226 Oth : 1.5869 1.5166 1.4640 1.4617 1.4663 US : 1.6079 1.5403 1.4843 1.4802 1.4867 : : Pounds Sales Volume 5/ : MN/WI : 2,364,928 2,160,351 2,713,960 3,267,459 3,136,053 Oth : 5,284,336 4,665,164 5,279,666 4,932,783 5,416,437 US : 7,649,264 6,825,515 7,993,626 8,200,242 8,552,490 : : Percent Moisture Content : MN/WI : 36.17 35.78 35.84 35.86 35.84 Oth : 34.51 34.85 34.89 34.84 34.88 US : 35.02 35.14 35.21 35.25 35.23 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1/ Revised. 2/ Prices weighted by volumes reported. 3/ CA, ID, OR, and WA. 4/ "Other Regions" included in U.S. total. 5/ Sales as reported by cooperating manufacturers.