HDR1012000160050227980830CHEDDAR CHEESE PRICES Cheddar Cheese Prices National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released February 27, 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) 720-4448, office hours 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET. Barrel Prices Increase 1.0 Cents Prices received for 500 lb. Barrel Cheddar cheese increased 1.0 cents per lb. for the week ending February 20, 1998. Block prices decreased 0.8 cents per pound. This is the first time that the US 500 lb. Barrel Cheddar cheese price has averaged greater than $1.40 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. 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 :----------------------------------------------------------- : Feb 20, : Feb 13, : Feb 6, : Jan 30, : Jan 23, : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 1/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Dol./Lb. 40 Lb. Blocks : Avg. Price 2/ : MN/WI : 1.4460 1.4534 1.4603 1.4494 1.4533 West 3/ : 1.3999 1.4090 1.4017 1.4088 1.4091 US 4/ : 1.4113 1.4190 1.4129 1.4209 1.4184 : : Pounds Sales Volume 5/ : MN/WI : 1,131,797 1,044,344 702,021 1,461,836 1,005,671 West 3/ : 4,328,610 4,640,566 3,992,998 4,427,277 5,003,862 US 4/ : 5,581,146 5,900,764 4,867,002 6,349,082 6,150,495 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Dol./Lb. 640 Lb. Blocks : Avg. Price 2/ : US : 1.4334 1.4218 1.4296 1.4221 1.4401 : : Pounds Sales Volume 5/ : US : 1,580,978 2,850,621 1,751,462 1,974,338 1,260,762 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Dol./Lb. 500 Lb. Barrels : Avg. Price 2/ : MN/WI : 1.5243 1.5140 1.5060 1.4777 1.4566 Oth : 1.5069 1.5017 1.4882 1.4584 1.4100 US : 1.5145 1.5066 1.4958 1.4677 1.4315 : Price Adj. to : 39% Moisture : MN/WI : 1.4237 1.4139 1.4090 1.3861 1.3572 Oth : 1.3982 1.3899 1.3785 1.3543 1.3075 US : 1.4092 1.3994 1.3915 1.3694 1.3304 : : Pounds Sales Volume 5/ : MN/WI : 3,410,375 3,285,039 3,410,822 4,282,290 4,291,527 Oth : 4,447,987 5,027,708 4,551,160 4,655,033 4,998,101 US : 7,858,362 8,312,747 7,961,982 8,937,323 9,289,628 : : Percent Moisture Content : MN/WI : 34.69 34.68 34.80 34.97 34.53 Oth : 34.26 34.10 34.15 34.31 34.22 US : 34.44 34.33 34.43 34.62 34.36 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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.