HDR1012000160050919970830CHEDDAR CHEESE PRICES National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released September 19, 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 Increase 1 Cent Prices received for 40 lb. block Cheddar cheese rose another 1 cent per lb. for the week ending September 12, 1997. Barrel prices increased 0.4 cents per lb. This is the tenth consecutive week 40 lb. block prices increased. Western 40 lb. block prices showed the largest increase, rising almost 2 cents 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 65 plants reporting account for an estimated 85 percent of natural Cheddar cheese sales. Estimates for only the current month are subject to revision. * * * * * * * The next "Cheddar Cheese Prices" report will be released at 8:30 a.m. ET on September 26, 1997. 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/. Cheddar Cheese Prices by Style and Region -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Week Ending Style and Region :----------------------------------------------------------- : Sep 12, : Sep 5, : Aug 29, : Aug 22, : Aug 15, : 1997 : 1997 1/ : 1997 : 1997 : 1997 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Dol./Lb. 40 Lb. Blocks : Avg. Price 2/ : MN/WI : 1.4162 1.4092 1.4012 1.3948 1.3522 West 3/ : 1.3631 1.3437 1.3457 1.3401 1.3013 US 4/ : 1.3783 1.3682 1.3660 1.3574 1.3181 : : Pounds Sales Volume 5/ : MN/WI : 1,457,273 1,498,850 1,267,977 1,165,567 1,308,102 West 3/ : 3,840,304 2,666,513 2,502,498 2,975,288 3,236,806 US 4/ : 5,355,751 4,203,050 3,829,031 4,247,535 4,644,269 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Dol./Lb. 640 Lb. Blocks : Avg. Price 2/ : US : 1.4014 1.3962 1.3885 1.3761 1.3435 : : Pounds Sales Volume 5/ : US : 1,168,918 940,949 1,530,467 2,084,779 1,100,054 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Dol./Lb. 500 Lb. Barrels : Avg. Price 2/ : MN/WI : 1.4291 1.4291 1.4324 1.4184 1.3671 Oth : 1.4173 1.4062 1.4174 1.3930 1.3365 US : 1.4213 1.4155 1.4223 1.4007 1.3484 : Price Adj. to : 39% Moisture : MN/WI : 1.3384 1.3404 1.3465 1.3313 1.2776 Oth : 1.3128 1.3021 1.3042 1.2825 1.2446 US : 1.3214 1.3175 1.3176 1.2971 1.2575 : : Pounds Sales Volume 5/ : MN/WI : 2,654,988 3,700,093 3,319,982 2,419,166 3,156,351 Oth : 5,183,536 5,437,079 6,973,832 5,552,773 4,911,862 US : 7,838,524 9,137,172 10,293,814 7,971,939 8,068,213 : : Percent Moisture Content : MN/WI : 34.87 34.97 35.11 35.01 34.73 Oth : 34.14 34.12 33.70 33.74 34.49 US : 34.39 34.46 34.16 34.13 34.59 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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.