At the Chicago Mercantile Exchange Class III milk futures closed mostly higher Wednesday following increased strength in the global markets. February milk closed unchanged at $13.48. March was up $0.22 at $13.46. April closed $0.22 higher to $14.15. May milk was up $0.17 at $14.29. The rest of the 2018 milk futures closed unchanged to nine cents a hundredweight higher.
Grade AA Butter was $0.0725 higher at $2.1350. Seventeen loads were sold ranging from $2.10 to $2.14 Barrels were up $0.0275 at $1.39. Eight loads were sold ranging from $1.3625 to $1.39. 40 # blocks were unchanged $1.51. Eight loads were sold ranging from $1.51 to $1.5350. Nonfat dry milk was unchanged at $0.73. Two loads were sold at $0.72 and $0.73.
The USDA reports cash butter for the week ending February 10th averaged $2.13 per pound, $0.022 lower than the previous week. 40 pound blocks of cheddar were pegged at $1.54, $0.07 higher. 500 pound barrels averaged $1.37, a decrease of $0.06. Dry whey came out at $0.253, up slightly from the previous week. Nonfat dry milk averaged $0.713, up $.015.
