Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) has accepted 14 requests for export assistance from Darigold, Foremost Farms, Land O'Lakes, Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative and United Dairymen of Arizona to sell a total of 397 metric tons (875.235 pounds) of Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese and 755 metric tons (1.664 million pounds) of butter to customers in Asia, North Africa, Central America and the Middle East. The product will be delivered May through November 2012.

In 2012, CWT has assisted member cooperatives in making export sales of Cheddar, Monterey Jack and Gouda cheese totaling 54.7 million pounds, and butter and anhydrous milk fat totaling 44.7 million pounds, to 27 countries on four continents. Totals of both were adjusted due to cancellations. On a butterfat basis, the milk equivalent of these exports is 1.480 billion pounds, or the same as the annual milk production of 70,460 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.

5.30.2012