World block Cheddar cheese is selling around $2.00 per pound right now. I ask Ledman how that squares with the U.S. price at $1.45 and she pointed out that the Cheddar sold at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange can include up to 39 per cent moisture. The global market trades in 35 percent moisture so we’re not comparing apples to apples when we look at CME prices versus world market levels.
http://www.dairyline.com/news-main.htm#Market%20Analysis%20with%20Mary%20Ledman1
The NASS survey from 12/31/09 covering the period November 28, 2009 through December 26, 2009 has an average for the five weeks of 35.172% moisture. Those processors surveyed by NASS take their price signals from the CME - they do not adjust moisture to 39%. That is fairly bad cheese.
USDA is fond of pointing out they do not use CME - they use the NASS survey. The NASS survey is the same as the CME except for a time lag of a week to ten days.
If the global market requires 35 percent moisture, then why do we not change our standards at the CME from 39 to 35?
ReplyDeleteBecause then they can't play around with the numbers so much. This way it is confusing which is the way they want it.
ReplyDeleteI think there will be lots of auctions this spring when dairy farmers can't get crop loans. What do you all think?