Cheddar Cheese Prices National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released October 2, 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 Continue Increase Prices received for US 40 lb. Block Cheddar cheese increased 2.1 cents per pound for the week ending September 25, 1998. This is the ninth consecutive week that the US 40 lb. Block price has averaged above $1.60 per lb. The price of US 500 lb. Barrels increased 4.0 cents per pound. This is the second consecutive week that the US 500 lb. Barrel price has averaged above $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 9, 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 (10-98) Cheddar Cheese Prices by Style and Region -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Week Ending Style and Region :----------------------------------------------------------- : Sep 25, : Sep 18, : Sep 11, : Sep 4, : Aug 28, : 1998 : 1998 1/ : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Dol./Lb. 40 Lb. Blocks : Avg. Price 2/ : MN/WI : 1.7306 1.6964 1.6795 1.6713 1.6801 West 3/ : 1.6572 1.6346 1.6279 1.6258 1.6270 US 4/ : 1.6806 1.6599 1.6436 1.6403 1.6433 : : Pounds Sales Volume 5/ : MN/WI : 1,521,506 2,304,550 1,716,597 1,563,636 1,830,235 West 3/ : 3,683,775 3,741,328 4,378,190 3,952,136 4,784,293 US 4/ : 5,295,418 6,169,222 6,176,702 5,606,511 6,793,436 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Dol./Lb. 640 Lb. Blocks : Avg. Price 2/ : US : 1.6903 1.6482 1.6246 1.6169 1.6500 : : Pounds Sales Volume 5/ : US : 297,329 526,935 770,368 921,834 827,856 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Dol./Lb. 500 Lb. Barrels : Avg. Price 2/ : MN/WI : 1.7777 1.7327 1.6764 1.6032 1.5864 Oth : 1.7593 1.7185 1.6198 1.5627 1.5613 US : 1.7641 1.7231 1.6377 1.5765 1.5713 : Price Adj. to : 39% Moisture : MN/WI : 1.7118 1.6559 1.5924 1.5242 1.5086 Oth : 1.6376 1.5976 1.5166 1.4640 1.4617 US : 1.6563 1.6162 1.5403 1.4843 1.4802 : : Pounds Sales Volume 5/ : MN/WI : 1,880,829 2,364,928 2,160,351 2,713,960 3,267,459 Oth : 5,400,735 4,895,366 4,665,164 5,279,666 4,932,783 US : 7,281,564 7,260,294 6,825,515 7,993,626 8,200,242 : : Percent Moisture Content : MN/WI : 36.65 36.17 35.78 35.84 35.86 Oth : 34.47 34.38 34.85 34.89 34.84 US : 35.03 34.97 35.14 35.21 35.25 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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.