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CWT-Assisted Exports Continue to Grow

February 2, 2012

The Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) export assistance program continued to expand in February with assistance made available for American-type cheeses and butter.

Accepted requests for assistance of Cheddar, Gouda and Monterey Jack cheeses totaled 13.8 million pounds, bringing the 2012 year-to-date total to 26.9 million pounds. Requests accepted for assisting members in exporting 82% butterfat butter totaled nearly 12 million pounds, which brought the year-to-date total to 23 million pounds. The milk equivalent on a butterfat basis of the products to be delivered between February and June is 750 million pounds. That was equal to the annual production of about 35,000 cows.

Producers concerned about the decline in milk prices should encourage their cooperative management to commit two cents per hundredweight to the CWT program for 2012 and 2013. A list of cooperatives (31 in total), as well as a membership application, can be found on the CWT website.