Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) has accepted 21 requests for export assistance from Bongards Creameries, Dairy Farmers of America, Land O’Lakes, Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative, Northwest Dairy Association (Darigold) and Tillamook County Creamery Association to sell 4.149 million pounds (1,882 metric tons) of Cheddar, Gouda and Monterey Jack cheese, and 848,780 pounds (385 metric tons) of 82% butter to customers in Asia, Central America, Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. The product will be delivered in February through April 2014.

Year-to-date, CWT has assisted member cooperatives in selling 20.538 million pounds of cheese, 6.244 million pounds of butter and 698,865 pounds of whole milk powder to 18 countries on four continents. These sales are the equivalent of 330.3 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 impacts U.S. dairy farmers by strengthening and maintaining the value of dairy products that directly impact their milk price.

CWT will pay export assistance to the bidders only when delivery of the product is verified by the submission of the required documentation.