Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) has accepted 6 requests for export assistance from Dairy Farmers of America and Northwest Dairy Association (Darigold) to sell 1.964 million pounds (891 metric tons) of Cheddar and Gouda cheese, to customers in Asia, Europe and the Middle East. The product will be delivered August 2014 through January 2015.

Year-to-date, CWT has assisted member cooperatives in selling 82.543 million pounds of cheese, 48.051 million pounds of butter and 19.877 million pounds of whole milk powder to 43 countries on six continents. These sales are the equivalent of 2.054 billion pounds of milk on a milkfat basis.

CWT-assisted exports of American-type cheeses, butter and whole milk powder make up a significant percentage of the exports of those products. In the long-term, assisting CWT member cooperatives through the Export Assistance program helps them gain and maintain market share, thus expanding the demand for U.S. dairy products and the U.S. farm milk that produces them in the rapidly growing world dairy markets. 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.