Time flies, the adage goes, when you're having fun. It's been almost 10 years now since Dairy Management Inc. created the U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC). And with apologies to Charles Dickens, this is clearly a tale of two exporters.
America's global dairy marketers are today different creatures than the ones that sent mostly surplus, subsidized, commodity butter and powder overseas in the early to mid-1990s. Now, almost 80% of our exports are commercial sales, with a special focus on high-value milk proteins and fractions, lactose, table and foodservice cheeses, infant formula, and ice cream. We've seen a turnaround in the level of commitment from our industry, too. Domestic attitudes toward dairy exports are shifting from an afterthought to an important long-range consideration.