MD_DA851 Cheese Highlights Report 20 - Released on May 20, 2022 Across all regions cheese production is active, though some production facilities in the Northeast and West are, reportedly, running below capacity due to labor shortages. Some cheese makers in the West also cite delayed deliveries of production supplies and limiting their ability to run full schedules. Midwestern cheese demand is mixed; contacts report that slipping prices in previous weeks caused some hesitance from purchasers, while others are purchasing to get ahead of a potentially bullish market. Meanwhile, demand is noted to be hearty in the Northeast and West. Cheese inventories are present to satisfy demand in the Northeast. In the Midwest, availability varies from balanced to tight. Spot inventories are available in the West, but contacts in the region say that cheese barrels have begun to show some tightness in recent weeks. Information for the period May 16 - 20, 2022, issued weekly Secondary Sourced Information: On the CME, barrels closed at $2.3475 and 40# blocks at $2.3800. The weekly average for barrels is $2.4130 (+0.0365) and blocks, $2.3740 (+0.0790). Published by: Dairy Market News - Madison, WI ROMAN CARAMAN, 608-422-8593 Email: roman.caraman@usda.gov Additional Dairy Market News Information: Dairy Market News (DMN) by Phone: (608)422-8602 DMN Website: https://www.ams.usda.gov/market-news/dairy DMN MARS (My Market News): https://mymarketnews.ams.usda.gov