Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) member cooperatives accepted six offers of export assistance from CWT that helped them capture sales contracts for 575,407 pounds (261 metric tons) of Cheddar cheese, and 39,683 pounds (18 metric tons) of butter. These products are going to customers in Asia, Central America, and the Middle East. The product will be delivered during the period from April through September 2019.
CWT-assisted member cooperative 2019 export sales total 25.415 million pounds of American-type cheeses, 2.804 million pounds of butter (82% milkfat) and 22.176 million pounds of whole milk powder to 22 countries in six regions. These sales are equal to 459.6 million pounds of milk on a milkfat basis.
It was also announced that effective today, CWT will accept bids for consideration for pasteurized process cheese, cream cheese, and anhydrous milkfat. The addition of these products to those eligible for export assistance addresses both the current and futures needs of CWT member cooperatives to expand the demand for U.S. dairy products produced from U.S. dairy farmer milk in the growing world marketplace.
Assisting CWT members through the Export Assistance program positively affects all U.S. dairy farmers and all dairy cooperatives by strengthening and maintaining the value of dairy products that directly impact their milk price. It does this by helping member cooperatives gain and maintain world market share for U.S dairy products. As a result, the program has significantly expanded the total demand for U.S. dairy products and the demand for U.S. farm milk that produces those products.
The amounts of dairy products and related milk volumes reflect current contracts for delivery, not completed export volumes. CWT pays export assistance to the bidders only when export and delivery of the product is verified by required documentation.
All dairy farmers and all dairy cooperatives should invest in CWT. Membership information is available on the CWT website, www.cwt.coop.
