B
Bmilk
CHECK
THOMAS JURCHAK
Lackawanna County
SCRANTON (Lackawanna Co.) With cheese and powder prices
holding their own to the middle of November, and no sign of increas
ing milk production, the Minnesota-Wisconsin Price Series took a
more than expected 29-ccnt increase to $12.75 for November.
That makes a total increase of $1.58 in three months; 16 cents better
than the $12.59 high of last year and 91 cents better than last Novem
ber. In fact, it’s the highest M-W price in 34 months going all the way
back to January 1990.
Howevelr, it’s really the second high for this year as predicted here in
September. It was up to $12.52 in May then fell to $11.17 in August
before starting up again with declining milk production. That’s an
unusual pattern but just one more indication of the uncertainty of mark
et trends this year and on into next year.
While the M-W has peaked and will start down next month, how fast
and how far it falls will depend on the milk production trends ahead.
The M-W is expected to fall next month because cheese prices
started dropping the last two weeks of November. They held steady for
11 weeks from September 3to November 24 then dropped nearly three
cents in two weeks. Such a small drop is unusual for this time of the
year when cheese prices usually start falling much earlier and much
faster.
Last year they dropped 16 cents from September 4 to December 4
and this year it was only one cent. Last year the total drop before start
ing up again was 20 cents and this year to December 10 block cheese
prices had fallen less than three cents.
There will be further drops to come but hopefully not the 20 cents of
last year.
Non fat dry milk prices are also going lower and with adequate stor
age stocks of powder and cheese activity in the export market may be
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d
SOUTHAMPTON (Bucks Co.)
Donald C. Bcrgey of Millville
has been elected to his first three
year term as a director of Atlantic
Dairy Cooperative.
Bergey. who joined Atlantic in
1977, is to represent the coopera
tive’s members in District 19,
which covers Columbia. Montour
and Northumberland counties and
surrounding counties. He replaces
Jason R. Hcrtzler of Milton, who
served on the board for 13 years.
Bergey and his wife, Patricia,
the only hope to slow down product price declines into the spring
months.
Going down also, however, is milk production nationally. That
dropped again in October with Wisconsin and Minnesota leading the
way with cuts of 7- and 4-perccnt. With that two-state area accounting
for more than 20 percent of the national production they have a serious
impact on the total milk supply. In addition, of course, that’s where the
class prices in Federal Orders start and that’s what is feeding increases
into your farm price.
With the increases in the M-W since September you’ve seen
increases from 90 cents to $1 in the prices on your milk check. With
the M-W going up again in November these will continue into the new
year and look pretty good. In fact, the price for November milk on your
check will be 30 to 60 cents higher than a year ago depending on which
Federal Order regulates your handler.
You will be getting more increases in the farm price for December
and January milk. That in itself is an indication of what an unusual
marketing condition you have. I can’t remember (or find) a time when
the January price was higher than the previous December. And I can’t
think of a better way to start the new year than having a price higher
than any month the last three years.
Just what you need to pay for the Christmas presents.
Happy holiday.
ADC Elects Bergey
farm more than 400 acres and milk
70 Holstein cows. They have two
children, Christa. 16, and Gre
gory, 13.
Active in a number of farm or
ganizations, Bergey is a director
of the Dairy Herd Improvement
Association and is a member of
the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau.
He was secretary/treasurer of a lo
cal farm cooperative and has serv
ed as secretary/treasurer of Atlan
tic’s District 19. He also served on
Atlantic’s Hauling Committee for
Production Also
Milk Checks
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I ii Our Thanks To |
| All The Dairymen *
S ' For Their Patronage f
I DurtaB,W3 |
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Amos Fisher & Rick Thompson s
| L___ Merle Ressler f
Uncwnr Fuming, Saturday, December 25, 1999423
four years.
Bergey is a member of Com
munity Mennonite Fellowship
Church, where he is administra
tive director. He also serves as
chairman of the church’s building
committee.
Atlantic Dairy Cooperative rep
resents more than 3,500 dairy
farm families in Pennsylvania,
New York, New Jersey, Dela
ware, Maryland, Virginia and
West Viiginia.
Se> ■
Donald Bergey is new ADC
director.