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NMPF says dairy export assistance program is under review

A farmer-funded dairy export assistance program might see some changes later this year. 

Chris Galen with the National Milk Producers Federation tells Brownfield a task force was formed in January to examine the Cooperatives Working Together program.   Galen says the NMPF board wants to make the best use of the dollars contributed by members, “Helping to continue delivering and even expanding the delivery of U.S. made dairy products in overseas markets, but we think that there’s also an opportunity here, and really, a responsibility to look at doing some other things. Are there ways that we can build demand in other countries?”

Galen says the task force is also looking at ways for U.S. dairy cooperatives to ship dairy products at a lower cost. “We want to make certain that we are offering as many different export opportunities as possible, and in a way that ultimately helps not just those individual cooperatives and their farmers, but all U.S. farmers.”

Galen says current and potential participants in the Cooperatives Working Together program will be surveyed at the end of March for their input.

Galen says the world export market for dairy is a lot different than it was two decades ago when the program began. “When we started CWT, U.S. dairy exports were maybe five or six percent of our total production. Single digits. Now it’s like 17, 18, even 19% of our production is exported.”

Galen says the NMPF board will make the final decisions on proposals brought forward by the task force.