Dairy prices
USDA's weekly survey prices for cheddar cheese, butter, nonfat dry milk and dry whey, and the announced Class III and Class IV milk prices, compared with the last report, a year ago and the 5-year average. Government cash prices, not CME futures.
Milk class prices (announced monthly)
Class III milk price (announced)
$16.04 $/cwt
September 2026
Last month-$0.60$16.64
Year ago-$1.55$17.59
5-yr average-$3.09$19.13
Class IV milk price (announced)
$18.94 $/cwt
September 2026
Last month+$1.58$17.36
Year ago+$2.77$16.17
5-yr average-$0.77$19.71
Dairy product prices (weekly USDA survey)
Cheddar cheese, 40-lb blocks (USDA survey)
$1.3856 $/lb
week ending Oct 17
Last week-$0.0453$1.4309
Year ago-$0.3452$1.7308
5-yr average-$0.5074$1.8930
Butter (USDA survey)
$1.3547 $/lb
week ending Oct 17
Last week-$0.0112$1.3659
Year ago-$0.3405$1.6952
5-yr average-$1.1687$2.5234
Nonfat dry milk (USDA survey)
$1.9959 $/lb
week ending Oct 17
Last week+$0.0298$1.9661
Year ago+$0.8530$1.1429
5-yr average+$0.6766$1.3193
Dry whey (USDA survey)
$0.7260 $/lb
week ending Oct 17
Last week+$0.0064$0.7196
Year ago+$0.1362$0.5898
5-yr average+$0.2281$0.4979
Source: USDA Agricultural Marketing Service, Dairy Mandatory Reporting, via the public USDA datamart: the weekly National Dairy Products Sales Report (weighted average prices manufacturers received, released Wednesdays; the latest weeks can be revised) and the monthly Announcement of Class and Component Prices (Federal Milk Marketing Orders). These are USDA cash prices, not CME futures. Class III milk · Cheese · Butter · Energy and metals