CWT assisted 2019 dairy exports nearly 1 billion pounds milk equivalent

Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) member cooperatives accepted 535 offers of export assistance that raised the milk equivalent of assisted sales in 2019 to nearly one billion pounds.

In the last week of CWT activity for 2019, CWT member cooperatives accepted 16 offers of export assistance that helped them capture sales contracts for 1.016 million pounds (461 metric tons) of Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese, 56,116 pounds (25 metric tons) of butter, 330,693 pounds (150 metric tons) of whole milk powder and 447,538 pounds (203 metric tons) of cream cheese. The product is going to customers in Asia, Central and South America. It will be delivered during the period from December 2019 through April 2020.

These contracts bring the 2019 CWT assisted export sales totals to 48.9 million pounds of American-type cheese, 123,458 pounds of anhydrous milkfat, 5.0 million pounds of butter (82% milkfat), 6.8 million pounds of cream cheese and 46.1 million pounds of whole milk powder. The products are going to 27 countries in six regions and are the equivalent of 956.3 million pounds of milk on a milkfat basis.

Assisting CWT members through the Export Assistance program positively affects all U.S. dairy farmers and dairy cooperatives by strengthening and maintaining the value of dairy products that directly impact the milk price. It does this by helping member cooperatives gain and maintain world market share for U.S dairy products. As a result, the program has significantly expanded total demand for U.S. dairy products and U.S. farm milk.

The amounts of dairy products and related milk volumes reflect current contracts for delivery, not completed export volumes. CWT pays export assistance to the bidders only when export and delivery of the product is verified by required documentation.

All dairy farmers and dairy cooperatives should invest in CWT. Membership information is available on the CWT website, www.cwt.coop.