National Milk Producers Federation

Yesterday's elections have strengthened the hand of Democrats in the House and Senate, and will provide President-elect Barack Obama strong majorities to work with in the coming years on Capitol Hill - although not a filibuster-proof 60 vote margin in the Senate. In the Senate, Democrats have picked up at least five seats, with several races either still too close to call, or headed for recounts. In the House, Democrats are expected to pick up at least 20 more seats... More...

Cooperatives Working Together will conduct a new herd retirement program this fall. This will be the second herd retirement round conducted this year; the previous one was initiated in June. As farm-level milk prices drop to their lowest level in 18 months, CWT officials said it was time the program offered its members another opportunity to retire their herds to trim overall national milk production, and strengthen prices... More...

Last Friday, USDA published its final rule establishing the Dairy Forward Pricing Program. Milk producers and cooperative organizations may voluntarily enter into forward price contracts with milk handlers for non-Class I milk; this program exempts those handlers from paying the minimum federal order price for milk under such contracts. The program was provided for in the latest Farm Bill... More...

The Environmental Protection Agency is expected to publish a final rule in the Federal Register in the next few days to complete the process it set in motion in the late 1990s to fundamentally reform and dramatically expand the federal regulation of livestock and poultry operations to protect water quality. The final rule is the culmination of a sustained, ten-year effort. The livestock and poultry operations that now have been brought under this regulatory system are referred to as Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations... More...

In response to Ag Secretary Ed Schafer's remarks about USDA extending rural development loans to ethanol plants, NMPF joined seven other animal agriculture organizations last month in submitting a letter to Schafer in opposition to the plan because it would discriminate in favor of one segment of American agriculture. More...

On October 24, 2008, USDA published its long anticipated proposal to amend the "Access to Pasture" provisions of the National Organic Program. The proposal adds greater detail to the requirements for pasture access for dairy cattle, recognizes pasture as a crop, and incorporates pasture into the required organic system plan. Organic dairy producers will have additional requirements... More...

The 2008 NMPF Annual Meeting in Nashville, TN was deemed a success by staff, board members, coop members, and other attendees. Following are important highlights of the meeting. More...

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