Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) has accepted 12 requests for export assistance from Dairy Farmers of America, Darigold, Foremost Farms and United Dairymen of Arizona to sell a total of 961 metric tons (2.119 million pounds) of Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese to customers in Asia and the Middle East. The product will be delivered November through May 2012.
In 2011, CWT has assisted members in making export sales of Cheddar, Monterey Jack and Gouda cheese totaling 36,735 metric tons (81.0 million pounds) to 25 countries on four continents. That is the equivalent of 810 million pounds of milk, the annual production of 38,570 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 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.
Source: Cooperatives Working Together