Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Trade Promotion and Director General of the U.S. & Foreign Commercial Service (U.S. Commercial Service) Suresh Kumar presented the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Export Achievement Certificate to Schaefer Ventilation Equipment of Sauk Rapids, Minnesota. The award recognizes businesses that have benefited from Commercial Service export assistance to make its first export sale or expand to new foreign markets. “Schaefer Ventilation is a prime example of how innovative Minnesota businesses are tapping global markets to increase their sales which support jobs and economic growth here at home,” Kumar said. “Ninety-five percent of the world’s consumers are beyond U.S. borders, and we must continue to give small -and medium-sized U.S. businesses a competitive edge by making the necessary investments that will lead America into the future. I commend Schaefer Ventilation on its outstanding export accomplishments.”

I wrote earlier this year about the drivers of U.S. milk production and, in particular, the link between the dollar margin over feed cost and production growth trends (See “U.S. milk production: Shouting down the supply chain,” May 2nd issue, pg. 23). It seemed clear at the time that the sharp decline in seasonal production during the latter part of 2010 was due to a margin squeeze on dairy producers – feed prices were rising and milk prices falling.

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