Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) has accepted 19 requests for export assistance from Dairy Farmers of America, Darigold and United Dairymen of Arizona to sell 3.320 million pounds (1,506 metric tons) of Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese, and 357,149 pounds (162 metric tons) of butter, to customers in Asia, Central America and the Middle East. The product will be delivered September 2012 through February 2013.
CWT logo
In 2012, CWT has assisted member cooperatives in making export sales of Cheddar, Monterey Jack and Gouda cheese totaling 85.7 million pounds, butter totaling 57.4 million pounds and anhydrous milk fat totaling 123,459 pounds. The product will go to 34 countries on four continents. On a butterfat basis, the milk equivalent of these exports is 2.046 billion pounds, or the same as the annual milk production of 97,400 cows.

Assisting CWT members through the Export Assistance program positively impacts producer milk prices in the short-term by reducing inventories that overhang the market and depress cheese and butter prices. In the long-term, CWT's Export Assistance program helps member cooperatives gain and maintain market share, thus expanding the demand for U.S. dairy products and the farm milk that produces them.

CWT will pay export bonuses to the bidders only when delivery of the product is verified by the submission of the required documentation.

The Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) Export Assistance program is funded by voluntary contributions from dairy cooperatives and individual dairy farmers. The money raised by their investment is being used to strengthen and stabilize the dairy farmers' milk prices and margins. For more information about CWT, visit www.cwt.coop.

09.18.2012