Milk futures on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange closed mostly higher Wednesday to round out the holiday-shortened week supported again by strong cash cheese trade.

November Class III milk down a penny at $20.36.  December 23 cents higher at $19.30.  January 15 cents higher at $18.81.  February up five cents at $18.13.  March through June contracts two cents lower to four cents higher.

Dry whey unchanged at $0.3525. 

Blocks up $0.0325 at $1.9625.  One trade was made $1.9775.

Barrels up $0.0550 at $2.2475. 

Butter down $0.0125 at $1.9975.  One trade was made at that price.

Nonfat dry milk up $0.0075 at $1.2375.  Nine trades were made on a range of $1.2250 to $1.24.

The USDA says the dairy index for October was up more than three percent from September and nearly 14 percent higher than last year.

The all milk price for October is set at $19.90 per hundredweight, up $.60 on the month and $2.40 on the year.

New Mexico had the lowest all-milk price at $18.40, followed by Arizona and California.  Prices in Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, New York, and Ohio were also below the national average.

USDA says dairy cattle prices in October were up more than $100 per head than last year and from last quarter.