National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released November 7, 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. Barrel and Block Prices Mixed Prices received for 500 lb. barrel Cheddar cheese rose another 0.2 cents per pound for the week ending October 31, 1997. Block prices declined slightly. This is the seventh consecutive week that the US 40 lb. block price has averaged greater than $1.38 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 :----------------------------------------------------------- : Oct 31, : Oct 24, : Oct 17, : Oct 10, : Oct 3, : 1997 : 1997 1/ : 1997 : 1997 : 1997 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Dol./Lb. 40 Lb. Blocks : Avg. Price 2/ : MN/WI : 1.4307 1.4257 1.4198 1.4142 1.4243 West 3/ : 1.3684 1.3712 1.3670 1.3681 1.3685 US 4/ : 1.3837 1.3843 1.3829 1.3841 1.3829 : : Pounds Sales Volume 5/ : MN/WI : 1,204,089 1,023,123 1,440,675 1,596,960 1,316,912 West 3/ : 4,412,883 3,859,337 3,870,255 3,843,502 3,902,219 US 4/ : 5,776,342 5,000,976 5,488,269 5,648,115 5,342,611 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Dol./Lb. 640 Lb. Blocks : Avg. Price 2/ : US : 1.4125 1.3992 1.3916 1.3853 1.3879 : : Pounds Sales Volume 5/ : US : 600,281 1,078,931 851,545 1,049,098 1,069,611 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Dol./Lb. 500 Lb. Barrels : Avg. Price 2/ : MN/WI : 1.4457 1.4457 1.4330 1.4262 1.4138 Oth : 1.4383 1.4390 1.4292 1.4141 1.4016 US : 1.4408 1.4414 1.4306 1.4184 1.4061 : Price Adj. to : 39% Moisture : MN/WI : 1.3649 1.3659 1.3572 1.3400 1.3311 Oth : 1.3394 1.3355 1.3322 1.3113 1.2969 US : 1.3481 1.3462 1.3412 1.3216 1.3096 : : Pounds Sales Volume 5/ : MN/WI : 3,241,416 3,026,238 3,047,368 3,198,714 3,242,670 Oth : 6,229,834 5,438,437 5,310,989 5,704,523 5,415,431 US : 9,471,250 8,464,675 8,358,357 8,903,237 8,658,101 : : Percent Moisture Content : MN/WI : 35.39 35.43 35.59 35.08 35.21 Oth : 34.50 34.27 34.56 34.22 34.08 US : 34.80 34.69 34.94 34.53 34.50 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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.