The U.S. Center for Dairy Excellence in Singapore has unveiled a site at USdairyexcellence.org that communicates a long-term commitment to Southeast Asia.  

In 2020, Southeast Asia passed Mexico to become the United States’ No. 1 dairy export market for volume, absorbing the equivalent of more than one day of total U.S. milk production per month.

The region ranked No. 2 for sales, buying $1.26 billion in U.S. dairy products and ingredients, a 36% increase over the previous year -- despite the challenges presented by a global pandemic.

The friendly image above of Martin Teo, technical director-food applications, and Dali Ghazalay, regional director, Southeast Asia, at a recent webinar hosted from the U.S. CDE greets visitors at USDEC's new website. 

Coinciding with those growth milestones, the U.S. Dairy Export Council officially opened the U.S. Center for Dairy Excellence in Singapore. The investment signals a long-term commitment to a region that encompasses Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, plus Brunei Darussalam, Burma, Cambodia and Laos.

The combined population of those countries is more than 670 million people, more than double the population of the United States.  

USDEC recently unveiled a new website that tells the story of the state-of-the-art center and the U.S. dairy industry's long-term commitment to the region. 

The CDE gives the U.S. dairy industry a bricks-and-mortar physical presence that “puts a stake in the ground” in Southeast Asia, says USDEC President and CEO Krysta Harden.

“It says to customers in the region ‘we are serious.’ We are going to be here for the long term. You are going to be a focal point. We want to work with you. We want to grow with you. We’re going to help you learn, and we’re going to learn from you,” says Harden.

The U.S. CDE was designed to be an education hub and collaborative meeting place that inspires innovation and mutual learning between U.S. dairy suppliers and Southeast Asian customers.

The new website (www.USdairyexcellence.org) includes an:

• “Innovate” section that allows prospective end-users to search a recipe database by dairy ingredient and application then download pdfs or share favorite products on numerous social media and communication platforms. A crown jewel of the site is a galley of delicious Southeast Asia-friendly food items, such as the ones shown below. (There are 69 items in total.) In each case, you can view the recipes, including which U.S. dairy ingredients are needed, and nutritional content. 
  
  
  
  
  
  
• “About” page that offers video testimonials from customers in the region and an introduction to U.S. dairy farming from dairy farmer and DMI Chairperson Marilyn Hershey.
• A “U.S. Center for Dairy Excellence” link that offers a snapshot of the U.S. CDE’s features and services and a timeline of USDEC’s involvement in Southeast Asia dating back to 1998.
  
  
• An Events section detailing USDEC webinars, workshops and other activities in the region, offering companies the chance to engage more closely with USDEC and U.S. suppliers.

COVID restrictions in Singapore have made it impossible for the center to launch with the immediate impact it could have had through in-person engagement, so it has been leveraged in virtual programming to this point. As restrictions ease, the new website will help spread the word, not just to customers but to U.S. member companies. 

"Many of our members are very interested in using our test kitchen and using our facilities to bring buyers and potential buyers to a place where they can grow their relationships," says Harden. "The center also is giving some of our members an opportunity to think about opening their own offices in Singapore. We are going to see a ripple effect with this center."

The video below is featured on the center's new website. It provides an overview of U.S. Dairy's commitment to the Southeast Asia region.

For more information:

For information about U.S. CDE meeting room and facility usage, contact Ian Stewart, director of operations, at istewart@usdecsg.org. For more information about Southeast Asia and the opportunities for U.S. Dairy, contact Dali Ghazalay, regional director, Southeast Asia, at dali@usdecsg.org. A section of the new website is available to USDEC members only and can be found at www.usdec.org/uscde. 

Learn more:

• New USDEC center in Singapore designed to serve SE Asia’s growing need for U.S. Dairy

• U.S. dairy exports hit all-time record in March

• (VIDEO) 650 Million Reasons for U.S. Dairy's Long-Term Investment in Southeast Asia

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The U.S. Dairy Export Council fosters collaborative industry partnerships with processors, trading companies and others to enhance global demand for U.S. dairy products and ingredients. Dairy Management Inc. primarily supports USDEC through the dairy farmer checkoff. How to republish this post.