BOSTON – Local milk prices soared to their highest rates ever recently as the tightening dairy market pushed up the cost of cheese, yogurt, ice cream and chocolate, reports The Boston Globe.

There may be some softening of prices in the last half of the year, but many analysts say strong international demand for U.S. dairy products and slow growth in U.S. milk production are likely to keep prices rising. “I don’t think we’re at the peak yet,” said Mike Suever, senior vice president of research and development, engineering, and procurement at H.P. Hood Inc., to the Globe. “We’re in for additional increases into August, September, and maybe October.”

Stop & Shop Supermarkets Inc., the region’s largest supermarket chain, posted notices in its stores last week saying “you may have heard that milk prices worldwide are rising at the fastest rates ever” and warning that “prices for milk and other dairy products will be higher for the foreseeable future.”

Dennis Lane , the owner of a 7-Eleven, told the Boston Globe his price for a 1.55-ounce Hershey chocolate candy bar has risen to 89 cents from 80 cents over the last year because of manufacturing price hikes.