Federal milk order market administrators (MA’s) collect retail milk price information for selected cities located in the marketing area of the order(s) they administer. This information, obtained mainly for internal use, has been helpful in answering Congressional and other inquiries concerning retail milk prices. As such, the survey methodology is not as exhaustive as that used by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in their Consumer Price Index computation.

The data for the MA series are collected by surveying one outlet each of the largest food store chain, the second largest food store chain, and the largest dairy/convenience store chain in the city or metropolitan area. The same outlet is surveyed each month. The survey is conducted on one day between the first and tenth of each month, excluding Fridays and weekends. The price obtained is for the most common brand, based on shelf space, and does not represent a temporary special price, or one that is dependent on the purchase of other food items or the use of a cents-off coupon.