HDR1012000160050123980830CHEDDAR CHEESE PRICES Cheddar Cheese Prices National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released January 23, 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 and Block Prices Mixed Prices received for 500 lb. Barrel Cheddar cheese increased 1.7 cents per lb. for the week ending January 16, 1998. US 40 lb. and 640 lb. block prices decreased 1.0 and 0.2 cents per pound, respectively. 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 January 30, 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 :----------------------------------------------------------- : Jan 16, : Jan 9, : Jan 2, : Dec 26, : Dec 19, : 1998 : 1998 1/ : 1998 : 1997 : 1997 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Dol./Lb. 40 Lb. Blocks : Avg. Price 2/ : MN/WI : 1.4456 1.4343 1.4474 1.4406 1.4670 West 3/ : 1.3952 1.4133 1.4054 1.4085 1.4113 US 4/ : 1.4093 1.4189 1.4169 1.4200 1.4236 : : Pounds Sales Volume 5/ : MN/WI : 1,739,721 1,411,383 1,322,061 981,693 1,013,256 West 3/ : 4,692,345 4,780,240 4,773,229 3,420,843 4,850,594 US 4/ : 6,471,935 6,271,090 6,363,788 4,810,820 6,101,643 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Dol./Lb. 640 Lb. Blocks : Avg. Price 2/ : US : 1.4346 1.4370 1.4337 1.4414 1.4424 : : Pounds Sales Volume 5/ : US : 917,126 1,505,404 1,320,727 1,124,196 1,274,528 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Dol./Lb. 500 Lb. Barrels : Avg. Price 2/ : MN/WI : 1.3940 1.3883 1.3794 1.3743 1.3779 Oth : 1.3824 1.3639 1.3546 1.3462 1.3654 US : 1.3882 1.3744 1.3629 1.3592 1.3702 : Price Adj. to : 39% Moisture : MN/WI : 1.3129 1.3033 1.2942 1.2816 1.2921 Oth : 1.2842 1.2656 1.2553 1.2475 1.2620 US : 1.2984 1.2817 1.2682 1.2632 1.2734 : : Pounds Sales Volume 5/ : MN/WI : 5,233,381 4,158,746 3,653,352 3,708,440 3,451,523 Oth : 5,240,929 5,526,937 7,280,336 4,320,676 5,638,084 US :10,474,310 9,685,683 10,933,688 8,029,116 9,089,607 : : Percent Moisture Content : MN/WI : 35.23 35.02 34.99 34.59 34.95 Oth : 34.34 34.26 34.18 34.17 34.00 US : 34.78 34.59 34.45 34.36 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.