As cash cheese and Class III futures prices continue to decline, National Milk Producers Federation notes that it looks like MILC payments will kick in starting with February production. NMPF projects a MILC payment near 27 cents for February, with higher payments in March through July. Anticipated feed costs are slightly down for most of 2012, but these payment projections have risen as milk price expectations for the rest of the fiscal year have declined.
The formula to determine the trigger price changes on September 1. Producers who wish to select March as their starting month must have the paperwork into their FSA office by the end of business Tuesday.
Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) has accepted 36 requests for export assistance from Bongards, Dairy Farmers of America, Darigold, Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative, Michigan Milk Producers Association, Upstate-Niagara subsidiary O-AT-KA and United Dairymen of Arizona to sell a total of 6.237 million pounds of Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese and 4.504 million pounds of butter to customers in Asia, Central America, the Middle East and North Africa. The product will be delivered February through June 2012.
In 2012, CWT has assisted member cooperatives in making export sales of Cheddar, Monterey Jack and Gouda cheese totaling 23.2 million pounds and butter totaling 18.9 million pounds to 16 countries on four continents.
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