DCA benchmarks: Cheese commentary week 9

According to DCA Market Intelligence, the cheese segment maintained a positive trajectory in week 9 (February 26), with all benchmarks reporting weekly increases, apart from Naturally Ripened Gouda. Price growth was primarily driven by robust demand and supply tightness.Foiled Gouda benchmarks closed at €3,365, reflecting an increase of 1.8% week-on-week and 8.7% month-on-month. Comparable increases were observed in Foiled Edam (+2% WoW, +8.3% MoM) and Mozzarella (+1.4% WoW, +10.7% MoM). Although these benchmarks remain below last year’s levels, a recovery trend has become evident in recent weeks, supported by overall market tightness.After relative stability in January, the Cheddar complex experienced a notable recovery over the past month, with Curd reaching €3,340 (+1.7% WoW, +5.5% MoM) and Mild closing at €3,430 (+2.7% WoW, +6.2% MoM). Meanwhile, Emmentaler reversed its negative trend, recording higher values over the past two weeks and closing at €3,715 (+1.6% WoW, +4.8% MoM).Naturally Ripened Gouda declined to €3,565 (-4.3% WoW, -4.3% MoM), making it the only benchmark to report a decrease this week. A contributor underlined that market tightness and increased demand are the main drivers of price growth, contrasting with reports of fully utilized production capacity. As such, price levels are increasingly dependent on export demand, which is currently outweighing elevated production fundamentals in the region.