Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) has accepted 8 requests for export assistance from Northwest Dairy Association and Tillamook County Creamery Association to sell 1.116 million pounds (506 metric tons) of Cheddar, Gouda and Monterey Jack cheese to customers in Asia and the Middle East. The product will be delivered December 2014 through March 2015.

Year-to-date, CWT has assisted member cooperatives in selling 85.642 million pounds of cheese, 48.189 million pounds of butter and 33.171 million pounds of whole milk powder to 43 countries on six continents. These sales are the equivalent of 2.117 billion pounds of milk on a milkfat basis. Figures are adjusted for cancellations that occurred during the month.

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 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.