International dairy prices still up

International prices for dairy commodities continued to trade at extremely high levels in October, with most commodities at or marginally below record levels. Butter, cheese, casein and whole-milk powder prices pushed higher during the month, with skimmed-milk powder holding its ground. Whey lost ground, continuing its decline since June. R ecent months have seen raw milk prices finally take off in the EU and US as export price signals and local competition for milk hit the farmgate. By October, milk prices were 46% above previous year levels, with the US all-milk price up 68% above previous year levels in September. – Alan Harman