To say that dairy product exports are misunderstood by some U.S. milk producers is an understatement.
And to say that if exports were to drop significantly big parts of the industry would drown in excess milk is an even bigger one.
That's a reality about 21st century dairying that is driven home by the latest sales figures seen in the chart above from the U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC).
For the first seven months of 2013, exports represented 15.2 percent of all milk made in the U.S. on a total solids basis. That is not only well above the record and near-record levels of 2010, 2011 and 2012, but sales have been even higher in recent months.
"Exports accounted for 17 percent of total production in May, June and July, and it won't surprise me if they wind up averaging over 16 percent for all of 2013," says Alan Levitt, USDEC vice-president of communications.
How much is 15.2 percent of all U.S. milk production? It's more than everything made in Wisconsin, the second largest dairy state, and it's more than Idaho and New York, numbers three and four, combined.
