Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) has accepted 12 requests for export assistance from Dairy Farmers of America, Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative Association, Michigan Milk Producers Association, Tillamook County Creamery Association and United Dairymen of Arizona to sell 912,714 pounds of Cheddar and Gouda cheese, 1.355 million pounds of 82% butter and 606,271 pounds of whole milk powder to customers in Asia, Central America, Europe, the Middle East, North Africa and the South Pacific. The product will be delivered March through August 2014.

Year-to-date, CWT has assisted member cooperatives in selling 26.985 million pounds of cheese, 11.774 million pounds of butter and 1.305 million pounds of whole milk powder to 19 countries on five continents. These sales are the equivalent of 514.3 million pounds of milk on a milkfat basis.

In the long-term, assisting CWT members through the Export Assistance program 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.