Cheese Stocks Steady While Butter And Pork Tighten

The USDA’s August Cold Storage report shows shifting stock levels across major dairy, meat, and poultry products.

cheese cold storage_Photo by Vasyl Diachuk via AdobeStock_302955024.jpg

Cheese factory production shelves are filled with aging cheese in storage.

WASHINGTON (RFD-TV) — The USDA’s August Cold Storage report shows shifting stock levels across major dairy, meat, and poultry products.

Butter & Cheese

Natural cheese supplies in refrigerated warehouses ended the month one percent lower than in July, but two percent higher than a year earlier.

Butter stocks continued to tighten, down eight percent month-over-month and six percent year-over-year, reflecting strong domestic demand.

Poultry

Frozen poultry supplies were mixed. Total stocks were slightly lower than both July and last August, with chicken inventories down two percent from July but still four percent above the previous year.

Turkey supplies increased by three percent from July but fell by eight percent from 2024 levels.

Beef & Pork

Red meat inventories were also reduced. Total freezer stocks declined by two percent from July and by seven percent from last year. Beef supplies edged one percent lower from the previous month but remained two percent above last year.

Frozen pork dropped three percent from July and 13 percent from 2024, with pork bellies sharply lower, down 25 percent from July.

Related Stories
The Farm Bureau urges trade enforcement, biofuel growth, fair input pricing, and pro-farmer policy reforms to restore long-term certainty.
Highly Pathogenic Avian Flu (HPAI) cases are rising. In the last week, seven commercial turkey, duck, and egg layer flocks were culled across five Midwest states and California.
Wheat futures briefly hit a three-month high before retreating as the markets wait for word on whether the deal will actually happen.
Expect modest relief on several produce lines, mixed protein trends into holiday buying, and softer veg-oil costs — a good week to sharpen forward buys selectively.
RFD-TV’s farm legal expert, Roger McEowen, digs into the details of both the LRP and the LGM programs, two essential risk management tools for cattle producers.
An import lag for ground beef will likely look different than last year’s egg shortage. The difference comes down to biosecurity and market flexibility.

Tony St. James joined the RFD-TV talent team in August 2024, bringing a wealth of experience and a fresh perspective to RFD-TV and Rural Radio Channel 147 Sirius XM. In addition to his role as Market Specialist (collaborating with Scott “The Cow Guy” Shellady to provide radio and TV audiences with the latest updates on ag commodity markets), he hosts “Rural America Live” and serves as talent for trade shows.

LATEST STORIES BY THIS AUTHOR:

Rail consolidation could affect grain basis, freight rates, and service reliability across major producing regions.
For communities that depend on agriculture as their primary economic engine, the recession is not defined by headlines on Wall Street. It is defined by the quiet disappearance of the businesses that once processed, serviced, and supported the crop.
Alan Bjerga of the National Milk Producers Federation discusses the Dairy Margin Coverage program, recent improvements, and what producers need to know ahead of this week’s enrollment deadline.
Higher output keeps milk supplies ample, reinforcing expectations for softer dairy prices even as feed costs remain favorable.
Cash flow management and lender communication are becoming critical survival tools for farmers as tightening margins increase risk and borrowing pressure.
Expanded global trade access boosts long-term export demand potential for U.S. ag products.
Agriculture Shows
Hosted by Scott “The Cow Guy” Shellady and RFD News Markets Specialist Tony St. James, Commodity Talk delivers expert insight into the day’s ag commodity markets just before the CME opens. Only on RFD-TV and Rural Radio SiriusXM Channel 147.
A look at the news, weather and commodities headlines that drove agriculture markets in the past week.
Everything profits from prairie. Soil, air, water — and all kinds of life! Learn how you can improve your land with prairie restoration, cover crops and prairie strips, while growing your bottom line.
Special 3-part series tells the story of the Claas family’s legacy, which changed agriculture forever.