Da 2-8 (8-98) Cheddar Cheese Prices National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released August 14, 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 Slightly Prices received for US 40 lb. Block Cheddar cheese increased 0.7 cents per pound for the week ending August 7, 1998. This is the thirteenth consecutive week of increasing US 40 lb. Block prices. The price of US 500 lb. Barrels increased 0.3 cents per pound. 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 August 21, 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/. Cheddar Cheese Prices by Style and Region -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Week Ending Style and Region :----------------------------------------------------------- : Aug 7, : Jul 31, : Jul 24, : Jul 17, : Jul 10, : 1998 : 1998 1/ : 1998 1/ : 1998 : 1998 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Dol./Lb. 40 Lb. Blocks : Avg. Price 2/ : MN/WI : 1.6601 1.6442 1.6374 1.6178 1.5901 West 3/ : 1.5993 1.5994 1.5782 1.5593 1.5408 US 4/ : 1.6200 1.6129 1.5929 1.5787 1.5522 : : Pounds Sales Volume 5/ : MN/WI : 1,708,294 1,203,364 1,405,971 1,823,214 1,058,349 West 3/ : 4,032,514 3,895,598 4,702,751 4,077,402 4,152,817 US 4/ : 5,963,557 5,293,538 6,284,646 6,114,827 5,448,602 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Dol./Lb. 640 Lb. Blocks : Avg. Price 2/ : US : 1.6357 1.6145 1.5968 1.5890 1.5549 : : Pounds Sales Volume 5/ : US : 461,951 679,724 1,320,815 1,242,802 816,491 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Dol./Lb. 500 Lb. Barrels : Avg. Price 2/ : MN/WI : 1.6112 1.6077 1.6132 1.6408 1.6341 Oth : 1.5894 1.5869 1.6041 1.5999 1.6172 US : 1.6005 1.5958 1.6077 1.6172 1.6242 : Price Adj. to : 39% Moisture : MN/WI : 1.5286 1.5217 1.5300 1.5542 1.5458 Oth : 1.4771 1.4840 1.4959 1.4903 1.5080 US : 1.5032 1.5000 1.5090 1.5172 1.5236 : : Pounds Sales Volume 5/ : MN/WI : 3,688,127 3,788,800 3,793,914 3,969,888 3,871,657 Oth : 3,532,061 5,064,175 5,923,743 5,386,996 5,451,795 US : 7,220,188 8,852,975 9,717,657 9,356,884 9,323,452 : : Percent Moisture Content : MN/WI : 35.70 35.55 35.68 35.60 35.52 Oth : 34.37 34.77 34.59 34.51 34.58 US : 35.05 35.11 35.01 34.98 34.97 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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.