After declining for the last two months, the overall average price nudged a little higher on the Global Dairy Trade Auction in New Zealand on Tuesday. Cheddar cheese was 6.5 percent lower and butter milk powder declined 2.2 percent from the June 4th auction. Anhydrous milk fat increased 1.7 percent, whole milk powder up 2.2 percent, skim milk powder was 3.2 percent higher and butter increased 4.7 percent putting the average for all products up 1.1 percent from the last sale. There were no sales of lactose, milk protein concentrate and rennet casein.

Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) has accepted four requests for export assistance from Dairy Farmers of America and Northwest Dairy Association (Darigold) to sell 310,852 pounds of Cheddar cheese to customers in Asia and North Africa. The product will be delivered June through September 2013.

Year-to-date, CWT has assisted member cooperatives in selling 61.123 million pounds of cheese, 51.727 million pounds of butter, 44,092 pounds of anhydrous milk fat and 218,258 pounds of whole milk powder to 31 countries on six continents

Monthly Livestock, Dairy and Poultry Outlook from USDA on Tuesday held only slight changes for dairy. Corn prices were raised from the May estimates reflecting delayed planting, reduced production and tightened supplies. Soybean and alfalfa prices were also raised and that means higher feed prices. U.S. milk production estimates unchanged for 2013 at 201.8 billion pounds but the 2014 production estimate was reduced to 204.5 billion pounds. The Outlook Board says high feed prices will keep the milk-to-feed ratio below the level needed to prompt expansion of the dairy herd.

Cheese and butter price estimates for 2013 were lowered to reflect growing cold storage inventories. Cheese is pegged at $1.745 to $1.785 this year. Butter was reduced to $1.54 to $1.61 this year. 2014 butter price estimate was also reduced to $1.48 to $1.61 while the cheese price was left unchanged from last month’s estimate at $1.675 to $1.775 per pound.

The Class III price for 2013 is estimated at between $17.80 and $18.20 this year, $17 to $18 next year. Class IV is pegged at $18.15 to $18.65 this year, $17.75 to $18.85 in 2014. The all milk price for 2013 was raised a little from last month now estimated at $19.60 to $20. Next year’s all milk price is projected to be between $18.95 and $19.95 per hundredweight.