AlfrLancMter Farming, Saturday, Dcctmber 16, 2000 GRAIN, CATTLE, HOG, & MILK BFP FUTURES MARKETS Market* Courtesy of Chicago Board and Mercantile Exchange Closing Bids: Thursday, December 14,2000 Corn Oats Soybean Meal 01M OlAUfl \oim 179.0 177.0 toifljpl otm^ Montfr 176.01176. By Ken Bailey Penn State University December 8,2000 Butter Prices Weaken Temporarily • Butter dropped $0 30/lb on Friday prices Cheese slightly Cheese continues into the CCC Butter prices at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange took a hit this Friday dropping from $1.8525 per pound on Monday, December 4 to $1 500 by Friday, December 8. This should not represent a market consensus on price movement, however, since it likely reflected short-run market conditions. USDA described the butter market this week in their weekly Dairy Market News as, “unsettled 178.0 b 71178.0 179. 174.0 b 0|174.1 177. 0 175.0|175.0 b Jpg High with a weak undertone.” However, USDA also noted that cream demand is very high this time of year and very little fresh butter is being made. And, “producers and handlers continue to report excellent butter demand.” Data suggests that American consumers have been loading up on high fat products this year. That means very strong demand for cream, which of course is used to make butter As a result, butter makers have been pulling frozen product out of inventory to meet short term needs USDA reports that many butter producers are reporting that year-end inventories will be very low, the lowest in many years. So, the jury is not yet out regarding what butter prices will do between now and the end of the year. Look for more volatility. weaken 178.2 a 178.1 174.1 a| 174.1' 1175.5 a 1175.3 Weekly Dairy Market Outlook we2 le pdce r s iC fo? 4 W o e £Zl ' blocks Table 1 ‘ Chicago Mercantile Exchange Prices, Weekly Averages at the Chicago Mercantile 8-Dec-00 I-Dec-00 24-Nov-00 17-Nov-00 10-Nov-OO Exchange fell from $1.1150 per pound on Monday to $1.09 by Thursday, but rose to $l.lO on Friday. Barrel cheese remained steady at $1.09 per pound all week, but rose to $1.0950 on Friday. Both nonfat dry milk and cheese moved into the Commodity Credit Corporation this week under the dairy price support program. CCC net purchases totaled 9,109,810 pounds of nonfortified and 1,791,719 pounds of fortified nonfat dry milk from the West, 1,032,173 pounds of block cheese from the West and Midwest, and 887,988 pounds of barrel cheese from the West. Wheat + 1 Unch Lean Hogs Daily Prices As ofThursday, 14 December Date Dec 00 5885 5885 5865 5882 unch Feb 01 5875 5875 5805 5845 -35 Apr 01 5835 5835 5765 5797 -45 Jun 01 6380 6380 6320 6360 -27 12/14/00 12/14/00 12/14/00 12/14/00 12/14/00 12/14/00 12/14/00 12/14/00 12/14/00 JulOl Aug 01 Oct 01 Dec 01 Feb 02 Composite Volume Openjnt 12/13/00 10041 47875 Live Cattle Daily Prices As of Date Dec 00 Feb 01 Apr 01 Jun 01 Aug 01 Oct 01 Dec 01 12/14/00 12/14/00 12/14/00 12/14/00 12/14/00 12/14/00 12/14/00 Composite Volume Open_lnt 12/13/00 15474 133282 Pork Bellies Daily Prices As ofThursday, 14 December Date Feb 01 Mar 01 May 01 12/14/00 12/14/00 12/14/00 12/14/00 12/14/00 JulOl Aug 01 Composite Volume Open_lnt 12/13/00 659 2602 Cheese: 500 lb. barrels 40-lb. blocks Nonfat dry milk: Extra Grade Grade A Butter; Grade AA Table 2. NASS Weekly US Average Survey Prices Cheese: 500 lb. Barrels 1/ 1.0378 40-lb. blocks 1.0516 Butter 1-7542 1.0147 0 1977 Nonfat dry milk Dry whey Open High Low Last Chge 3486 4724 1358 227 179 31 28 6140 6140 6090 6127 5940 5940 5895 5917 5110 5110 5090 5100 4840 4855 4825 4855 0 5040 5015 5040 - Thursday, 14 December Open High Low Last Chge 7695 7740 7652 7670 7745 7765 7670 7680 7845 7847 7775 7787 7435 7440 7387 7402 7425 7432 7395 7407 7550 7562 7537 7547 7630 7635 7615 7630 Open High Low Last Chge ope^; 567 2197 52 190 35 131 1 54 3 30 6695 6817 6605 6672 +2 6690 6820 6620 6675 +lO 6750 6880 6740 6750 -30 6850 7010 6800 6800 -75 6900 6930 6887 6930 +143 1.0910 1.1025 1.0710 1.0985 1.0300 . 1.0300 1.0300 1.0300 1.0300 1.0300 1.0300 1.0300 1.0300 1.0?00 1.7175 1.8325 2-Dec-00 25-Nov-OO 18-Nov-OO 11-Nov-00 4-Nov-OO 1.0020 1.0432 1.7217 1 0161 0.1990 Prev. Openjnt 5044 28113 6392 4307 1263 610 1113 1003 30 -23 -38 -37 -5 +2O Prev. Prev. Volume Openjnt 2530 11569 7176 66773 3009 30584 1084 10826 884 10007 658 2678 133 845 1.0517 1.0833 1.0340 1.1020 1.7950 1.7950 0.9851 1.0081 1.5498 1.0159 0.1939 0.9875 1.0222 1.2958 1.0178 0.1898 1.0040 1.0080 1.5805 0.9874 1.044 1.1431 1.0136 0.188