d's Dairy orl In W du US Imports of e st h r t y Blue-Veined Cheese g W Since 1991 ... In millions of pounds n i e 11 e v Since 1876 k r e l y S 10 9 8 7 CHEESE REPORTER 6 5 4 Vol. 126, No. 40 • Friday, April 12, 2002 • Madison, Wisconsin 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 '00 2001 KCCO Awards Contracts Dairy Policy Still Undecided As Farm For At Least 81.6 Million Pounds Of Cheese, Seeks Bill Conferees Continue Negotiations More Mozz, Cheddar Kansas City, MO—USDA’s Kansas Washington—House and Senate and we in USDA need a result to program. That bill earmarks $500 City Commodity Office (KCCO) members resumed negotiations this implement as quickly as possible.” million in direct payments for dairy late last Friday announced the week on the new farm bill and lead- At the same Sparks Companies producers in 12 northeastern states awarding of contracts for a minimum ers said they hoped to finish work on conference that Veneman made her whenever the Class I price drops of 81.6 million pounds and a maxi- a compromise measure by the end of remarks, US Sen. Pat Roberts (R- below $16.94 per hundredweight; mum of 172.4 million pounds of April. KS) said he was “extremely disap- and $1.5 billion for producers in Mozzarella, pasteurized process It was the conference committee’s pointed” with the farm bill debate other states, triggered off the quar- American and natural American first meeting on the farm bill in and process. terly difference between the five- cheese for delivery between July 1, nearly a month. Negotiators had “Most of our farm groups have year moving average US all-milk 2002 and June 30, 2003. agreed last month on overall spend- seemed more interested in how many price and the US all-milk price for Specifically, KCCO awarded ing levels for a compromise bill, but dollars they can get out of the bill the quarter in question. indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quan- talks have been stalled on a long list instead of worrying about develop- In an attempt to reach a compro- tity contracts for a minimum of of issues, including dairy. ing policies that will bring us the mise between the Senate’s plan and 29,473,920 and a maximum of “Obviously, these are critical most benefit for the long-term future the House farm bill, which includes 62,937,320 pounds of Mozzarella; a days,” commented US Secretary of of agriculture,” Roberts said. no such dairy payment plan, the minimum of 40,471,200 and a max- Agriculture Ann M. Veneman on This has been “the most partisan” International Dairy Foods Associa- imum of 79,596,000 pounds of pas- Thursday. of the six farm bills he has worked tion (IDFA) reported today that US teurized process American cheese; Veneman thinks House Agricul- on, Roberts added. The Senate Rep. Collin Peterson (D-MN), the and a minimum of 11,685,950 and a ture Committee Chairman Larry “decided to craft a political docu- ranking Democrat on the House maximum of 29,846,250 pounds of Combest (R-TX) is “absolutely com- ment with goodies for every Democ- dairy subcommittee, has offered an natural American cheese. mitted to moving the process. He has rat up for re-election while alternate plan for consideration by For the Mozzarella contracts, the now said he is willing to keep the completely locking Republicans out conferees that would be nationwide purchase price for each delivery conferees. He’s willing to work, Fri- of the process.” in its application. month is the accepted differential day, Saturday, Sunday through this There are “many problems” with Peterson’s plan, according to price indicated plus the applicable weekend to try to get this process the Senate’s farm bill besides the pol- IDFA, would rely on setting up pro- previous month’s average of the moving.” itics that went into the legislation, duction bases. Payments would be Chicago Mercantile Exchange “We have to look to the fact that Roberts continued. Specifically, he made only on the historical milk (CME) cash market price for block we are running out time,” Veneman said, “we should not...create a dairy production base, not on any new cheese trading. Mozzarella contracts continued. “We need to put the dif- program that favors the Northeast production, thus creating a disincen- were awarded as follows: ferences aside, the politics aside over other regions of the country.” tive for expansion, IDFA said. •Land O’Lakes, Inc., Denmark, because right now people in the He was referring to the Senate WI: a minimum of 8,023,680 and a country are waiting to get a result farm bill’s $2 billion dairy payment • See Farm Bill Talks, p. 22 maximum of 16,007,040 pounds of Cheese Production Rose low moisture part skim (LMPS), Retail, Foodservice Demand Raises Domestic unfrozen, processor pack at a differ- 1.9% In Feb. Despite Mozz ential price of $0.0001-$0.0300 per Drop; Butter Output Jumps Production, Imports Of Blue-Veined Cheeses pound. Washington—US cheese produc- Madison—More expansive use of according to the Roquefort Associa- •Masters Gallery Foods, Ply- tion during February totaled 644.5 Blue-veined cheese on both the tion in New York. English Stilton, mouth, WI: a minimum of 9,031,680 million pounds, up 1.9 percent from retail and foodservice levels has with its creamy white surface and and a maximum of 16,007,040 February 2001 but down 7.6 percent increased domestic production and wrinkled gray coat, originated more pounds of LMPS, unfrozen, processor from January 2002, the US Depart- imports in recent years. than 200 years ago. pack, at a differential price of ment of Agriculture (USDA) Blue-veined cheeses, which are $0.0250-$0.0412 per pound. reported last Friday. marbled with a bluish-green mold, Domestic Consumption, Production •Lucille Farms Inc., Swanton, For the first two months of this reveal visible mold cultures within US consumption of Blue cheese has VT: a minimum of 403,200 and a year, cheese production totaled their interiors, wrote Steven Jenk- gained significantly in recent years. maximum of 804,200 pounds of 1.342 billion pounds, up 1.8 percent ins, in his “Cheese Primer.” Exam- Per capita consumption of Blue LMPS, unfrozen, processor pack, at a from the first two months of 2001 ples include American Maytag Blue, cheese in 1970 was 0.15 pound; differential price of $0.0900-$0.0950 and almost exactly the same as pro- English Stilton, French Roquefort, 1980, 0.17 pound; 1990, 0.17 per pound. duction during the first two months Italian Gorgonzola and Spanish pound; and 2000, 0.20 pound – a 33 •ConAgra Dairy Foods, Brook- of 2000 (which had an extra day due Cabrales. percent increase since 1970, or field, WI: a minimum of 4,999,680 to leap year). Cheese production in US production of Blue-veined roughly an 18 percent increase since and a maximum of 11,975,040 2000 went on to establish a new cheeses dates back less than a cen- 1990. • See Cheese Contracts, p. 16 record high of 8.255 billion pounds. tury. Researchers at the US Depart- Domestic production of Blue Among the leading regions in ment of Agriculture (USDA), Iowa cheese has likewise gained momen- cheese production during February, State University, University of Min- tum over the past decade. In 1980, IN THIS ISSUE the West’s output totaled 244.4 mil- nesota and Washington State Uni- domestic production totaled 33 mil- “Colby Market Problems’” p. 2-3 lion pounds, up 4.8 percent from versity, among others, were lion pounds; 1990, 36.4 million “Break Kosher Stranglehold p. 4 February 2001 but down 6.5 percent instrumental in developing manu- pounds; and 1998, 43.9 million from January 2002; the East North facturing methods for domestic pounds. The year 1998 was the last “Pinking in Cheeses” p. 6 year Blue cheese production was Central’s production totaled 195.8 Blue-veined cheeses. Lactose Prospects p. 10 million pounds, down 1.0 percent By contrast, French Roquefort reported separately by USDA’s was considered a delicacy by Roman Global Dry Milk Exports p. 39 • See Cheese Production, p. 40 legionnaires over 2,000 years ago, • See Blue-Veined, p. 34 Exports for More Profits p. 17 34 CHEESE REPORTER April 12, 2002 items over the past two years. Blue-Veined Per Capita Consumption Continued from p. 1 Arla, based in Denmark, imports its Rosenborg brand as well as private of Blue Cheese National Agriculture Statistics Ser- label Blue-veined cheeses to the US vice (NASS). through a nationwide broker net- This chart show a 33% 0.25 With Census Bureau population work. increase since 1970, or 0.23 estimates coupled with Blue cheese Kauffmann said the company’s about an 18% increase 0.21 importers/distributors sell about 70 imports and domestic production, since 1990. 0.19 percent of its cheese to the retail sec- this implies a market size of 42 mil- 0.17 tor and 30 percent to foodservice With the Census Bureau lion pounds in 1990, rising to 56 mil- 0.15 lion pounds by 2000. outlets. Arla’s Blue cheese is sold to population estimates, both white tablecloth restaurant this implies a market 0.13 Blue Cheese Imports Increase 50% chains and distributors such as Sysco, size of 42 million pounds 0.11 From 1991 through 2001, imports of Kauffmann said. in 1990, rising to 56 0.09 blue-veined cheeses increased almost Although Arla’s sliced Blue million pounds by 2000.