Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) has accepted 13 requests for export assistance from Dairy Farmers of America, Northwest Dairy Association, and Tillamook County Creamery Association who have contracts to sell 3.402 million pounds of Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese, and 1.764 million pounds of whole milk powder to customers in Asia, the Middle East and South America. The product has been contracted for delivery in the period from December 2015 through June 2016.
Year-to-date, CWT has assisted member cooperatives who have contracts to sell 53.593 million pounds of cheese, 25.847 million pounds of butter and 40.715 million pounds of whole milk powder to thirty-five countries on six continents. The amounts of cheese, butter and whole milk powder in these sales contracts represent the equivalent of 1.373 billion pounds of milk on a milkfat basis. The totals have been adjusted due to cancellations.
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 all U.S. dairy farmers by strengthening and maintaining the value of dairy products that directly impact their milk price. Renewing this important program for 2016 through 2018 is currently underway. Cooperatives and individual dairy farmers interested in investing in their future can find membership at www.cwt.coop under the membership tab.
The amounts of dairy products and related milk volumes reflect current contracts for delivery, not completed export volumes. CWT will pay export assistance to the bidders only when export and delivery of the product is verified by the submission of the required documentation.