DCA benchmarks: Cheese commentary week 4

DCA Market Intelligence closed its cheese benchmarks under a firm to weak sentiment in week 4 (January 22), with declines across foiled cheese, Frau Antje, and Maasdam. Meanwhile, the Cheddar complex, Mozzarella, and Emmentaler remained stable.Foiled cheese benchmarks observed an overall decline from the previous week, with Gouda closing at €3,060 (-0.49%) and Edam at €3,030 (-0.82%). Frau Antje also declined to €3,130 (-0.79%), with its premium against Gouda declining by €10. The weekly price contraction has slightly offset a monthly recovery in pricing, ranging between 3.7% and 4.26%.Both Mozzarella and Emmentaler remained stable at €3,005 and €3,725, respectively, with Emmentaler extending a period of stability since the previous month and Mozzarella recovering slightly (+2.4%).Meanwhile, both Maasdam and Cagliata benchmarks have observed a continued decline. Maasdam closed at €3,550, contracting 1.39% over the previous week and 7.79% over the previous month. Cagliata faced an important 6.1% decline over the previous week to €3,090, although the volatility in the inputs was the highest among the cheese benchmarks.The Cheddar complex remained largely stable over the week, with Curd closing at €3,225 and Mild at €3,305. The trend over the last month shows a mild yet positive trend, ranging between 0.15% and 0.16%.That said, all the cheese benchmarks remain at a significantly lower level than the previous year, reflecting a contraction ranging between 22.7% and 31.8% compared to the previous year. Market sentiment was marked by uncertainty throughout the day, with participants noting a robust demand for certain cheese types, including Mozzarella and Gouda. This has been coupled with a lack of availability in Gouda. However, this has not translated consistently into an increase in prices, which could be linked with the current decline in the value of milkfat.