Celebrating her first anniversary on the job, U.S. Dairy Export Council President and CEO Krysta Harden reflects on record-setting export growth and what it means for farmers.
What’s my biggest takeaway after a full year at the helm? One word: Growth.
Export growth gives new hope for U.S. dairy farmers. If that hope persuaded just one adult child of a dairy farmer to continue the family business, I would consider my first year a success.
Growing global demand for dairy should fuel this hope for years to come. I like to put it this way: The world needs U.S. dairy farmers and U.S. dairy farmers need the world.
Despite historic bottlenecks at ports and the ongoing pandemic, our industry set a second straight record for dairy export volume in 2021. Highlights include:
- Total U.S. dairy export volumegrew by 10% over 2020 to reach 2.3 million metric tons of milk solids shipped to overseas customers.
- Total U.S. dairy export valuesurpassed the highs of 2014 to reach $7.75 billion in 2021, an 18% increase year over year.
- Cheese volume increased 14%, beating the previous record set in 2014.
- Nonfat Dried Milk (NFDM) and Skim Milk Powder (SMP) volume built upon a successful 2020 (the previous record) and grew an additional 10%.
- Whey volume – in both high- and low-protein varieties – reached new levels with a gain of 10%.
When the checkoff created USDEC in 1995, exports were an afterthought. Today, one out of six tankers leaving American dairy farms deliver milk for dairy products and ingredients shipped across our borders. While export growth is essential, we also have a powerful base for domestic dairy sales here at home.
Looking ahead, I see plenty of room for more growth of exports. More than 95% of the world’s population is beyond U.S. borders. New global markets give dairy farmers room to grow. Over the last two years, the equivalent of about 75% of “new” milk has gone to exports. “New” milk refers to amount of milk produced in a given year that’s above and beyond what was produced the previous year.
As I reflect on my first year at this job, I see USDEC bringing an industry together with an increasingly global focus. Factors include:
Collaboration
In the last year, we have needed that same can-do spirit to address an ongoing global pandemic that disrupted supply chains, costing us $1 billion in exports last year. USDEC, working with the National Milk Producers Federation and other dairy organizations, has led a multi-pronged, collaborative push to address the shipping crisis.
Nimbleness
“Nimble” is a word you hear a lot in business these days. Synonyms are quick, light, agile, deft and clever. All apply to the last year as the pandemic made nimbleness necessary for USDEC and the entire industry. Our headquarters office in Arlington, Virginia, was closed and remains closed, forcing all of us to disperse and work from our homes. Our face-to-face interactions were stymied all over the world.
I’m proud of our staff’s effort, commitment and creative problem-solving. For example, we deftly pivoted to digital communications to educate the world on the advantages of U.S. dairy ingredients, reaching 8,200 professionals and over 700 students via 100 events. We answered more than 750 calls for technical and regulatory assistance.
Shared success
Credit goes to USDEC member companies and our dairy farmers working so hard to provide a steady milk supply. When more milk leaves our country in exported cheese and dairy ingredients than ever before, everyone in our industry shares and benefits from this success.
Automaker Henry Ford once said, “Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, and working together is success.”
If this is true, as I believe it is, my first year at the helm of USDEC was a resounding shared success.
To learn more about your national dairy checkoff, visit www.USDairy.com or send a request to join our Facebook group. To reach us directly, send an email to TalkToTheCheckoff@dairy.org.
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