Market Reports

Cheesemakers are still going strong, and spot milk continues to move in the Midwest. However, demand is lackluster with foodservice outlets pulling back on orders in some areas.

Although cheese prices are much lower now than they were in June, cheese vats remain full. The other dairy markets tumbled this week as well and the futures bled copious red ink.

Although things had started to bounce back in June, the fledgling economy recovery seems to have stalled in July as the virus rages on. The initial panic has calmed, but the pandemic will continue to disrupt the dairy industry in myriad ways.

Cheddar blocks have lost ground every day since they topped out less than two weeks ago. Still, there is more than enough cheese to meet demand, even if manufacturers dug into inventories last month.

On Monday they sprinted straight uphill to a record-shattering price. Their journey to that point is an astounding feat of strength and stamina but by the end of the week, prices had fallen far enough to attract buyers.

In an environment as fickle as the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, bulls are not typically bred for their stamina. But in the Cheddar block market there is a bull of a different breed.