A US institute predicts milk powder exports from the US will reach 1.2 billion pounds by 2015, due to strong global demand for nonfat dry milk.

The Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute (FAPRI) notes that the prediction is “a projection of what could happen if current policies remain in place”, according to a report in the US-based Cheese Reporter.
Over 55% of domestic non-fat dry milk production could be exported by 2015, with domestic NDM production to increase from its current levels of 1.2 billion to over 2.2 billion pounds by 2015.
Other predictions by FAPRI include an increase in per capita cheese consumption in the US, to 34.4lbs in 2015, up from 31.5 in 2005, of which 13.4 pounds will be American-type cheese, while the per capita consumption of other types of cheese will amount to 21lbs. Cheese production is set to increase from 9.1 billion pounds last year to 10.9 billion pounds in the predicted year.
Meanwhile, butter production predictions see a smaller increase, from 1.3 billion lbs in 2005 to 1.4 billion by 2015. Per capita cosnumption is expected to remain steady at 4.7 pounds through 2015.
For milk, production will reach 181.6 billion pounds this year, as a response to higher milk prices in 2004 and 2005. Dairy cow numbers will exceed 9.1 milion head in 2006, and then should decline.
FAPRI is a joint institute of Iowa State University and the University of Missouri, which provides analysis of agricultural markets and policies for US governmental bodies.