In Class III trade at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, milk futures were mostly firm with the most active months up on technical buying at key support points. October was down $.01 at $14.72, November was up $.03 at $15.43, December was $.05 higher at $15.25, and January was up $.03 at $15.39.
Cash cheese was mixed. Blocks were up $.0175 at $1.655 with three loads sold. The last unfilled bid was on one load at $1.64. Barrels were down $.0025 at $1.5575. There was one load sold at $1.5575 and one sold at $1.55. The last unfilled bid was on one load at $1.55. The last uncovered offer was for one load at $1.57.
Butter was $.055 higher at $1.885. There three trades at $1.88, along with one at $1.885. The last unfilled bid was on one load at $1.88.
Nonfat dry milk was $.005 lower at $.865. There was one trade at $.87. The last unfilled was on one load at $.85. The last uncovered offer was for one load at $.865.
The USDA reports butter for the week ending October 22nd averaged $1.84 per pound, down $.011 on the week. 40 pound blocks of cheddar were pegged at $1.56, $.011 lower, and 500 pound barrels averaged $1.53, down $.019. Dry whey came out at $.343, up $.017. Nonfat dry milk averaged $.919, $.002 lower.
According to California’s Department of Food and Agriculture, nonfat dry milk for the week ending October 21st averaged just over $.89 per pound, nearly a penny lower than the previous week. Sales of 5.479 million pounds were down 2.584 million on the week.