CWT Assists with 1.6 Million Pounds of Cheese Export Sales

Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) has accepted 10 requests for export assistance from members who have contracts to sell 1.601 million pounds (726 metric tons) of Cheddar, Gouda and Monterey Jack cheeses to customers in Asia, the Middle East, North Africa and Oceania. The product has been contracted for delivery in the period from October through December 2016.

So far this year, CWT has assisted member cooperatives who have contracts to sell 39.749 million pounds of American-type cheeses, 7.491 million pounds of butter (82% milkfat) and 21.301 million pounds of whole milk powder to 21 countries on five continents. The sales are the equivalent of 699.939 million pounds of milk on a milkfat basis.

Assisting CWT members through the Export Assistance program in the long-term helps member cooperatives gain and maintain market share, thus expanding the demand for U.S. dairy products and the U.S. farm milk that produces them. This, in turn, positively affects all U.S. dairy farmers by strengthening and maintaining the value of dairy products that directly impacts their milk price.

The amounts of dairy products and related milk volumes reflect current contracts for delivery, not completed export volumes. CWT will pay export assistance to the bidders only when export and delivery of the product is verified by the submission of the required documentation.