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CWT Assists with 2.7 Million Pounds of Dairy Product Export Sales

Posted on by Khadija Gibson-White

ARLINGTON, VA – Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) member cooperatives accepted 26 offers of export assistance from CWT that helped them capture sales contracts for 2.5 million pounds (1,118 MT) of American-type cheese and 256,000 pounds (116 MT) of whole milk. The product is going to customers in Asia, Central America, the Caribbean and South America, and will be delivered from November 2023 through January 2024.

CWT-assisted member cooperative year-to-date export sales total 41.3 million pounds of American-type cheeses, 908,000 pounds of butter (82% milkfat), 26,000 pounds of anhydrous milkfat, 39 million pounds of whole milk powder and 7.3 million pounds of cream cheese. The products are going to 25 countries in five regions. These sales are the equivalent of 744.3 million pounds of milk on a milkfat basis.

Assisting CWT members through the Export Assistance program positively affects all U.S. dairy farmers and cooperatives by fostering the competitiveness of U.S. dairy products in the global marketplace and helping member cooperatives gain and maintain world market share for U.S. dairy products. As a result, the program has helped significantly expand the total demand for U.S. dairy products and the demand for U.S. farm milk that produces those products.

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.

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The Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) Export Assistance program is funded by voluntary contributions from dairy cooperatives and individual dairy farmers. The money raised by their investment is being used to strengthen and stabilize the dairy farmers’ milk prices and margins.

NMPF Regulatory Work “Registers” with Influential Audience

Posted on by Theresa Sweeney

It may be one of NMPF’s most-hidden secrets to its members – an influential quarterly publication that puts dairy’s side of the story before the government and regulatory experts who directly influence dairy policy. But it’s a secret that’s hiding in plain sight, as the Regulatory Register is a critical part of NMPF regulatory work. And in this week’s Dairy Defined Podcast, the organization’s regulatory team talks about the critical work they’re doing for dairy – and previews the next Register.

“It’s important for us to get our side of the regulatory story out to the broader community, not only the dairy industry itself, but also the regulators at the federal and state level on the variety of issues that happen in the regulatory space that are important for the US dairy industry,” said NMPF’s Chief Science Officer, Jamie Jonker, on the podcast, where he was joined by Senior Vice President for Regulatory Affairs and NMPF Chief Counsel, Clay Detlefsen, and Miquela Hanselman, NMPF’s Director of Regulatory Affairs.

The full podcast is here. You can also find the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Google Podcasts. Broadcast outlets may use the MP3 file below. Please attribute information to NMPF.

NMPF’s Bjerga on Perceptions of Dairy, Agriculture in Wartime

Posted on by Alan Bjerga

NMPF Executive Vice President Alan Bjerga discusses how agriculture and food thought leaders perceived dairy during his recent participation in the World Food Prize in Des Moines, IA, detailing some of the misconceptions found on dairy’s sustainability and role in food security. He also discusses the challenges farmers are facing in conflict zones, including recent attacks in Israel and the ongoing war in Ukraine, in an interview with WEKZ Radio.

 

 

NMPF’s Bjerga on Global Food Security and Dairy’s Role

Posted on by Alan Bjerga

 

Author of the book “Endless Appetites” and NMPF Executive Vice President for Communications and Industry Relations Alan Bjerga speaks on trends in global food security from the World Food Prize in Des Moines, IA, with RFD-TV. Bjerga also discusses how dairy and animal agriculture are an important part of food security solutions both through nutrition and job creating, pointing out how livestock farming can be done sustainably and noting dairy’s role in furthering that goal.

USDEC’s Harden discusses USDA Support for Trade

Posted on by Alan Bjerga

Krysta Harden, president and CEO of the U.S. Dairy Export Council, discusses the value of USDA support for U.S. agricultural exports in an interview with RFD-TV from the World Food Prize in Des Moines, IA. The department said Oct. 24 it plans to devote $2.3 billion from the Commodity Credit Corporation to promoting better market opportunities for U.S. agricultural producers and expanding food aid to support communities in need around the world, a move advocated for by NMPF and USDEC.

NMPF and USDEC Commend Significant New Investment in Export Market Promotion

Posted on by Theresa Sweeney

The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) and U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC) praised today’s announcement from the U.S. Department of Agriculture that it plans to devote $2.3 billion from the Commodity Credit Corporation to promoting better market opportunities for U.S. agricultural producers and expanding food aid to support communities in need around the world.

The expanded export support program and food aid were requested by Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow, D-MI, and Ranking Member Sen. John Boozman, R-AR, in late August.  USDA will devote $1.3 billion to establishing a Regional Agricultural Trade Promotion Program, and $1 billion to commodity-based international food aid.

“The U.S. dairy community is grateful for the USDA’s decision to invest in supporting the cultivation of enhanced international market opportunities for America’s dairy farmers and cooperatives. We thank Senators Stabenow and Boozman for their initiative in encouraging USDA to pursue this course of action,” said NMPF president and CEO Jim Mulhern. “Now more than ever, the U.S. dairy industry relies on exports. If distributed to those sectors that are presently underfunded such as dairy, the new export promotion funding will put us in a better position to compete globally and grow our consumer base. NMPF encourages Congress to build on today’s announcement by USDA to also deliver additional funding for the Market Access Program and Foreign Market Development Program in the development of the next Farm Bill.”

NMPF, USDEC and other agricultural leaders are advocating for Congress to double funding for the Market Access Program and Foreign Market Development program – the two programs have not received a raise in over 16 years, despite offering consistent returns on investment.

“Farmers, manufacturers and workers up and down the dairy supply chain benefit from expanded trade opportunities that help the industry thrive in today’s global economy,” said USDEC president and CEO Krysta Harden. “We’re thankful that USDA is taking this important step to support American Agriculture and appreciate Senators Stabenow and Boozman elevating the importance of using CCC resources to fund programs that will strengthen the U.S. dairy industry through the creation of new markets and the promotion of nutritional dairy-containing products in food aid. We look forward to continuing to work together to level the playing field for America’s dairy farmers and producers.”

CWT Assists with 2.2 Million Pounds of Dairy Product Export Sales

Posted on by Khadija Gibson-White

ARLINGTON, VA – Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) member cooperatives accepted 17 offers of export assistance from CWT that helped them capture sales contracts for 2.1 million pounds (950 MT) of American-type cheese and 79,000 pounds (36 MT) of cream cheese. The product is going to customers in Asia, Central America, the Caribbean and Middle East-North Africa, and will be delivered from October 2023 through January 2024.

CWT-assisted member cooperative year-to-date export sales total 38.8 million pounds of American-type cheeses, 908,000 pounds of butter (82% milkfat), 26,000 pounds of anhydrous milkfat, 38.8 million pounds of whole milk powder and 7.3 million pounds of cream cheese. The products are going to 25 countries in five regions. These sales are the equivalent of 719.7 million pounds of milk on a milkfat basis.

Assisting CWT members through the Export Assistance program positively affects all U.S. dairy farmers and cooperatives by fostering the competitiveness of U.S. dairy products in the global marketplace and helping member cooperatives gain and maintain world market share for U.S. dairy products. As a result, the program has helped significantly expand the total demand for U.S. dairy products and the demand for U.S. farm milk that produces those products.

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.

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The Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) Export Assistance program is funded by voluntary contributions from dairy cooperatives and individual dairy farmers. The money raised by their investment is being used to strengthen and stabilize the dairy farmers’ milk prices and margins

NMPF’s Jonker brings the IDF World Dairy Summit home

Posted on by Alan Bjerga

 

NMPF Chief Science Officer Jamie Jonker connects the themes of the World Dairy Summit, which concluded in Chicago on Thursday, to advancing the interests of U.S. dairy farmers. The summit, hosted by the United States for the first time since 1994, had attendees from 55 countries and activities from technical panels to farm tours.

USDEC’s (and DFA’s) Peterson discusses U.S. dairy leadership

Posted on by Alan Bjerga

 

U.S. Dairy Export Council Chairman and farmer-member of the Dairy Farmers of America cooperative Alex Peterson discusses how the International Dairy Federation World Dairy Summit has given dairy experts around the world insights into the success U.S. dairy farmers have had in nourishing consumers and leading in agricultural sustainability and efficiency. Peterson speaks with RFD-TV.

NMPF’s Vitaliano Says Dairy Farmers Strongly Behind FMMO Modernization

Posted on by Alan Bjerga

 

USDA’s Federal Milk Marketing Order hearing will continue following a recess through the Thanksgiving holiday. Peter Vitaliano, National Milk Producers Federation Vice President of Economic Policy & Market Research, says the hearing is making progress and that farmers are still solidly behind changes to the FMMO system. “The producer groups are together. That’s the key thing,” he said. “The producers are the ones who vote for federal orders.”