Market Report 3.3.23
Is the optimism of market participants justified?
Prices were stable again. In milk fat the volatility is very high, from € 5.30 to € 4.55 within a few hours. Whether this is positive, or negative is difficult to judge. It only shows that market participants are nervous.
Many buyers have stocked up for Q2, but Q2 will not be their problem. Q3 will be challenging, if the water shortage occurs and milk prices are low, milk could suddenly be missing.
Protein concentrates have been correcting for a few weeks now and are getting closer and closer to skimmed milk powder. I assume that this trend will continue. The price of skimmed milk powder, on the other hand, has stabilised. I hope that this will continue. Thanks to generous subsidies, Switzerland is a large producer of protein concentrates, but unfortunately this is at the expense of the cheese dairies. Where the greater added value lies in the long run, I leave to the interpretation of the reader.
The current positive mood is based on psychological factors and not on facts. Milk production is rising sharply now without demand keeping pace. But it could be that this is already a forerunner of tight availability in Q3. It is certainly not wrong to build up stocks in the next 4 months, especially if you need cheese in Q3.
According to Mooh, their lower milk prices are in line with the planned seasonal markdowns.
To the question: Is the optimism justified?
It may not be justified, but I hope it continues. It would be disastrous for the industry if prices were to collapse. We have an interest in healthy, high-quality food, but that requires financially sound farmers and companies.
Those who know me know that my heart beats for flower meadow cheese with natural raw milk. This unique cheese is most likely to be threatened if the markets do not calm down. By the way, flower meadow cheeses not only taste delicious, but they are also healthy. Read more:
Kind regards, Affineur Walo
Presentation Walo von Mühlenen AG
Walo von Mühlenen AG produces cheese for the processing industry and specialty cheeses:
1. the cheeses for the processing industry are created especially for our customers. Each customer has its own special recipe that we develop together with our technicians. It includes cheese for grating, cagliata for mozzarella production, cheese for ready meals, mozzarella with buffalo milk, grilled cheese with buffalo milk and many more.
Do you need a special cheese? Call us!
2. Our specialty range includes 2 different assortments of Flower Meadow cheeses made with natural raw milk. These are unique cheeses with a natural and complex flavor. These cheeses can be found in well-stocked cheese counters.
Do you need a special cheese for your cheese counter, do you want your cheese counter to gain profile. Then give us a call!
The two assortments are:
A) Affineur Walo, under this name we market the cheeses for the connoisseur who is looking for the extraordinary. These are cheeses made according to the recipes of the von Mühlenen family. The von Mühlenen family founded their first store in Bern in 1867 and since then they have remained faithful to Swiss raw milk cheeses. The family's cheeses have won countless awards, they have been world champions several times and continue to win awards regularly.
B) l'Antoine the cheese artist, under this name we market the cheeses for the connoisseur who seeks the original. These cheeses are made according to the 17th century recipes of Antoine the Cheese Artist. Antoine was a shepherd and cheese maker who lived in the Gruyère region in the canton of Fribourg and created many cheese recipes. A few years ago, Affineur Walo discovered these recipes and revived the old tradition. Already the first cheeses of Antoine have inspired international jury and have already received many awards. Thus, the raclette cheese received the award "best innovation of the year 2022" and it was also immediately chosen as the "best raclette in the world".
What does the label Swiss “Flower meadow cheese” mean?
Swiss Flower Meadow-cheeses are unique and one-of-a-kind products that bring the taste of nature directly to the tongue of every cheese lover. Their flavours are characterized by the natural raw milk, which guarantees that the diversity of the flower meadows is preserved, remains, and takes them into the world of nature.
The complex aroma of Flower Meadow cheese is clearly different from industrially produced cheeses. The secret of the aromatic taste of the Flower Meadow Cheese lies in the flower meadows, in the careful processing of the raw milk, in the craftsmanship of the cheesemaker and the knowledge of the affineur.
The milk is not bactofugated or ultrfiltrated
