May 2008

DAIRY CHECKOFF UPDATE 

A periodic report for dairy media demonstrating how Dairy Management Inc.™ (DMI) and affiliated state and regional promotion organizations work to increase demand for and sales of U.S.-produced dairy products and ingredients through the programs of the American Dairy Association®, National Dairy Council® and U.S. Dairy Export Council®. For more information about these and other dairy checkoff programs, please contact Jennifer Wing at (847) 627-3225 or jenniferw@rosedmi.com. 

Producer-Funded Export Efforts Help Increase U.S. Cheese Sales to Japan 

Through their checkoff investment in the U.S. Dairy Export Council® (USDEC), dairy producers are building profitable markets for U.S. dairy products and ingredients by helping meet unmet dairy demand of Japanese consumers. 

In the last few years, Japanese customers have come to seek and appreciate the high-quality products offered by U.S. dairy producers, specifically U.S. produced cream cheese. Now, U.S. suppliers are expanding into other cheese markets. USDEC works closely with others in the industry through market development and expansion programs that emphasize high-value artisan cheeses and American originals. 

With the assistance of USDEC staff, Japanese importers introduced approximately 20 U.S. specialty cheeses in 2007. USDEC encouraged the introduction of these new cheeses by:

·        Conducting one-on-one consultations with retailers and hotels, and hosting seminars in Tokyo and Osaka

·        Participating in an annual consumer event celebrating “Cheese Day”

·        Sponsoring cheese and wine tastings for culinary professionals

·        Working to convince distributors to use the USA seal of origin, which features the USDEC logo and the claim “safe and good American cheese” 

In 2007, U.S. cheese shipments to Japan rose 30 percent to 10,061 tons. 

“Exports are a profitable market and help the U.S. dairy industry grow,” said Paul Rovey, an Arizona dairy producer and chairman of Dairy Management Inc.™, which manages the national dairy producer checkoff program. “By discovering consumer needs around the globe and working to meet those needs, our investment in USDEC provides long-term value for U.S. dairy producers.” 

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

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