DCA Benchmarks: Cheese commentary week 51

The cheese market remained relatively stable in week 51, with some last-minute demand providing selective upward price support, particularly for foil cheeses and mozzarella.Foil cheeses showed moderate upward momentum. Edam increased by €20 to €2,940 per ton, while Gouda rose by €25 to €2,965 per ton. Inputs remained aligned, with standard deviations of 2.1% for Edam and 2.6% for Gouda. Frau Antje recorded the strongest increase this week, up €90 to €3,040 per ton, recovering part of its premium over Gouda that had gradually eroded in recent weeks.Following the tendency seen in recent GDT prices, the mozzarella benchmark also rose by €40 to €2,930 per ton. And Cagliata prices moved up closing at €3,275 per ton, while recording the highest volatility in the market at 7%.Cheddar benchmarks were broadly stable. Cheddar curd edged up by €5 to €3,230 per ton (1.7% SD), while Cheddar mild remained unchanged at €3,315 per ton (1.4% SD).In contrast, Emmentaler declined by €45 to €3,745 per ton, while Maasdam fell by €50 to €3,750 per ton. Both markets showed higher volatility, particularly Maasdam with a standard deviation of 4.1%, reflecting a wider spread of inputs, with the lowest price reported at €3,500 per ton. Overall sentiment remains mixed to stable. Most contributors emphasize low trading volumes and subdued activity as the year-end approaches, while others focused on clearing remaining inventories given last-minute demand.