As students head back to school, cheese sellers expect 'sharp increases' in demand; milk processors see increased activity.
August 12, 2013
Cheese shreds in 8-ounce packs were the most featured individual item this period, appearing in 12,755 ad features. The national price averaged $2.36, up 12 cents from two weeks ago. 8-ounce blocks, at $2.43, moved 7 cents higher from two weeks ago. Schools have reopened in the Southern tier of states across the nation sending an increasing number of milk loads to bottlers to meet the increased Class I demand.
Dean Foods loses its No. 1 spot because it sold Morningstar to Saputo and spun off WhiteWave. Nestlé is the largest publicly held firm, Schreiber Foods is the largest privately owned business and Land O'Lakes is the top dairy co-op.
Nestlé USA is North America's largest dairy processor, bumping off Dean Foods Co. which held the spot for at least half of the 20 years that Dairy Foods has been compiling the Dairy 100.
Just as football training camps begin seasonal activity, there are increasing reports from cheese manufacturers about buyers beginning to more actively consider inventory needs for the last quarter of 2013 and the first of 2014.
August 5, 2013
The USDA's Dairy Market News reports that that Process cheese sales are “strong” while Natural cheese sales are “off a little” in the Midwest. Overall, most manufacturers are “comfortable” with the current cheesemaking situation.
In the company's Cheese Segment, revenues increased from a combination of higher prices, volume gains and improved product mix with significant gains in Kraft natural cheeses and Velveeta
August 1, 2013
Kraft Foods Group, Inc. Northfield, Ill., reported today that net revenues in the second quarter declined 1.1% to $4.7 billion and that operating income increased 53.5% to $1.4 billion in the period. In the company's Cheese Segment, revenues increased from a combination of higher prices, volume gains and improved product mix with significant gains in Kraft natural cheeses and Velveeta.
The company said earnings improvements year-on-year have been driven mainly by its Dairy Foods division, which had been negatively impacted in the first half of 2012.
August 1, 2013
Land O'Lakes said sales increases during the second quarter were achieved in all three core businesses, which include Dairy Foods, Crop Inputs (WinField) and Feed (Purina Animal Nutrition). First half sales were improved in all business segments, including Layers.