Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) has accepted 10 requests for export assistance from Dairy Farmers of America, Land O'Lakes, Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative Association and United Dairymen of Arizona to sell 4.246 million pounds (1,926 metric tons) of Cheddar cheese, and 200,621 pounds (91 metric tons) of butter, to customers in Asia, Central America, the Middle East and North Africa. The product will be delivered October 2012 through March 2013.
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In 2012, CWT has assisted member cooperatives in making export sales of Cheddar, Monterey Jack and Gouda cheese totaling 95.9 million pounds, butter totaling 58.3 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 2.159 billion pounds, or the same as the annual milk production of 102,700 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.

10.02.2012