03/20/07 Dairy export record

The numbers are in and US dairy exports hit record levels in 2006, the third year in a row that's happened. Tom Suber is the US Dairy Export Council president. SUBER  "We exported 2 billion pounds of milk solids in 2006, and that jumped a full percentage point from 8.3 percent of our production to 9.3 percent of our production from 05 to 06. So our products are competing on the value that they provide in the marketplace and that brings profits back to our producers and suppliers." US dairy exports were up 13 percent in value last year to nearly 1.9-billion dollars, thanks in large part of dairy ingredients. SUBER - "47 percent of our whey went out of the country and 35 percent of our whey protein concentrate went out of the country. 3 out of every 4 pounds of lactose we created  75 percent -- went out of the country." Suber says competitors like Australia, New Zealand, Argentina and Europe cannot keep up with dairy demand and that's helped to increase prices. He says an international market that had been oversupplied is now trending toward undersupplies. Mexico, Canada and Southeast Asia are the leading export customers for US dairy. Voice of Idaho Agriculture Bill Scott