Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) has accepted 13 requests for export assistance from Dairy Farmers of America, Michigan Milk Producers Association, Tillamook County Creamery Association and Upstate-Niagara/O-AT-KA to sell 5.735 million pounds (2,601 metric tons) of Cheddar cheese, 1,984 million pounds (900 metric tons) of butter (82% milkfat) and 46,297 pounds (21 metric tons) of whole milk powder to customers in Asia, the Middle East and North Africa. The product will be delivered October 2014 through April 2015.

Year-to-date, CWT has assisted member cooperatives in selling 92.632 million pounds of cheese, 53.421 million pounds of butter and 37.893 million pounds of whole milk powder to 43 countries on six continents. These sales are the equivalent of 2.334 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.