DCA Benchmarks: Cheese market commentary week 36

The cheese market strengthened further this week, although activity remained relatively subdued. Edam and Gouda recorded notable increases, while Mozzarella remained broadly stable, and the cheddar complex moved higher.Edam and Gouda accelerated their upward movement this week. Edam increased by €155 to €3,550 per tonne, while Gouda rose by €135 to €3,540 per tonne. In contrast, Mozzarella remained broadly stable, edging €5 lower to €3,680 per tonne. As a result, the gap between the foil cheese segment and Mozzarella narrowed considerably: the difference with Edam declined from €290 to €130 per tonne, while the gap with Gouda fell from €280 to €140 per tonne.The Cheddar complex also strengthened considerably. Curd increased by €210 to €3,655 per tonne, while Mild rose by €115 to €3,660 per tonne, bringing both benchmarks close to Mozzarella. Maasdam recorded another particularly strong increase, rising by €225 to €4,000 per tonne, while Emmental and Frau Antje moved higher by €75 and €90 respectively. Naturally ripened cheese also moved sharply higher, increasing by €215 to €3,950 per tonne and reversing last week’s decline.Despite the broad increase in prices, market activity remained relatively subdued. Contributors reported some additional activity following the end of the holiday period, but the market remained quiet overall, with buyers hesitant to accept higher prices and several participants taking a stand-and-wait approach. Higher raw material prices and milk availability concerns were reported as factors supporting prices, while Cheddar was described as particularly tight, with producers asking for higher prices.