The April Federal order Class III benchmark milk price picked up 25 cents to $14.47 per hundredweight (cwt.), up a quarter from March.
California’s April Class 4b cheese milk price was announced by the California Department of Food and Agriculture at $14.27 per cwt., up 31 cents from March, 3 cents below a year ago, but the highest 4b price since November 2017. The 4b average now stands at $13.75, down from $14.97 a year ago and compares to $13.02 in 2016.
The 4a butter-powder milk price is $13.29, up 28 cents from March but 44 cents below a year ago. Its four-month average, at $12.99, is down from $14.69 a year ago and compares to $12.87 in 2016.
The March Class IV price is $13.04, up 17 cents from February but $1.28 below a year ago. Its First Quarter average stands at $13.01, down from $15.37 a year ago and compares to $13.75 in 2016.
Class and Component Prices for April 2018
Class II Price: 14.03 (per hundredweight)
Class II Butterfat Price: 2.5183 (per pound)
Advanced Class II
Skim Milk Price 1/: 5.41 (per hundredweight)
Class III Price: 14.47 (per hundredweight)
Class III Skim Milk Price: 5.89 (per hundredweight)
Class IV Price: 13.48 (per hundredweight)
Class IV Skim Milk Price: 4.86 (per hundredweight)
Butterfat Price: 2.5113 (per pound)
Nonfat Solids Price: 0.5401 (per pound)
Protein Price: 1.7810 (per pound)
Other Solids Price: 0.0619 (per pound)
Somatic Cell Adjustment Rate: 0.00079 (per 1,000 somatic cell count)
Product Price Averages:
Butter 2.2452 (per pound)
Nonfat Dry Milk 0.7134 (per pound)
Cheese 1.5737 (per pound)
Dry Whey 0.2592 (per pound)
1/ March 2018 Advanced Price Announcement
For more information about the Federal Milk Market Order Program please review:
http://www.ams.usda.gov/rules-regulations/mmr/dmr
