According to the Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) program, the following ten Missouri herds were accepted into the second round of their herd retirement program.

During the second round of CWT's Herd Retirement program in the fall of 2004, more than 350 bids were accepted from around the country for the retirement of approximately 50,000 cows. This reduction in the national milking herd will result in the removal of approximately ½ of 1 percent of the nation’s milk supply.

Total volume bid: 2.05 billion lbs.
Total accepted bid volume: 908 million lbs.
Total number of bids submitted: 736
Total number of bids accepted: 363
Average accepted bid: $5.24/cwt.
Number of cows retired: 50,478

CWT Renewed for 18 more months

The National Milk Producers Federation's Board of Directors voted to reauthorize the industry-funded and managed price stabilization program Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) for another eighteen months of operations, beginning on July 1, 2005. The NMPF Board approval of the CWT renewal followed a similar vote on Monday by the CWT Committee, which helps direct the program.

By a unanimous vote, the NMPF membership agreed Tuesday to extend the program into a third year, until December 31st, 2006. The principal reason for the 18-month extension was to align CWT's fiscal calendar (July to June), with the NMPF fiscal year (January-December), thus allowing for more efficient management of the program.

Source: National Milk Producers Federation/ News Release, March 9, 2005