Producer-Funded Export Efforts Help Drive Dairy Market Growth

Through their promotion investment in the U.S. Dairy Export Council® (USDEC), dairy producers are helping drive demand for and sales of U.S.-produced dairy products and ingredients by serving the needs of international customers.

Recent export data shows that nearly 2.2 billion pounds of U.S. milk solids, representing more than 9 percent of total U.S. production, were sold internationally last year – more than double the export volume of five years ago. Thanks in part to USDEC’s marketing efforts and the commitment of U.S. dairy suppliers, dairy producers are better prepared than ever before to meet rising global demand for dairy products.

“Exports are no longer just an opportunity for the U.S. dairy industry,” said Paul Broering, Ohio dairy producer and chair of the American Dairy Association Mideast Board of Directors. “Exports are critical to driving U.S. dairy markets today. Maintaining and building dairy exports allows our industry, and our farm businesses, to grow.”

Data indicates that in 2007:

• U.S. dairy producers exported 39 percent of the nonfat dry milk and 59 percent of the whey proteins they produced.
• U.S. cheese exports hit a record high 219 million pounds, up 40 percent from the previous year.
• Butterfat exports increased almost four-fold to 90 million pounds.

Dairy producers’ promotion investment in USDEC has helped triple the value of U.S. exports — from $982 million in 1995 to today’s export value of more than $3 billion.

For more information about dairy checkoff-funded programs, visit www.dairycheckoff.com.