Dairy farmers are invited to participate in the second segment of American Dairy Coalition’s webinar series: “Future of Federal Milk Pricing Forum.”
The Forum will be convened by webinar on April 5 from 1:00 to 2:30 EDT.
“A lot of good information was discussed during our first webinar in February, and dairy farmers have started to develop a list of priorities. Let’s continue the discussion and move forward in tackling these hard topics,” ADC CEO Laurie Fischer reports.
“The financial stability of our nation’s dairy farmers is the foundation of the entire dairy industry and a significant portion of agriculture’s infrastructure. During the past six years, farmers have struggled through depressed milk prices, huge increases in costs for fertilizer, diesel fuel, feed, labor, and this list goes on,” she observes.
Sitting back and doing nothing is not an option as Federal Milk Marketing Order (FMMO) participation has been declining over the past decade, and new developments — such as the make allowance study and the upcoming Farm Bill — are entering the picture.
Dave Natzke of Progressive Dairy Magazine will again moderate the session.
Panelists will include Danny Munch, American Farm Bureau Federation economist, on “How could the new USDA Dairy Processing Study (Make Allowances) impact your mailbox milk check?”
Bryan Henrichs, a dairy and custom crop farmer in Illinois will speak on behalf of dairy farmers addressing key ‘milk pricing’ issues to update the current complicated pricing policies and changing FMMO participation landscape.
Also, bringing a Farm Bill update from the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture will be Kyle Varner with the office of Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) and Jeremy White with the office of Ranking Member John Boozman (R-Ark.).
Through these webinars, ADC is positioning dairy farmers to be heard and to lead the federal pricing discussions instead of being caught unaware and dealing with the fallout like in the Class I pricing change that was made in the last Farm Bill without farmer input.
A bipartisan Senate bill was introduced in November that, if passed, would require USDA to hold national FMMO hearings. Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack told producers in Wisconsin that FMMO hearings will not be held until there is “consensus within the dairy industry.” At the same time, 2023 Farm Bill discussions, where milk pricing changes may be considered, are getting underway.
“The FMMO system is complex with regional, national, and global factors. We have seen the impact of a pricing change that was made legislatively, without a vetted hearing process or farmer input, in the last Farm Bill. We must never let this happen again!” notes Fischer. “Farmer input is vital. These webinars are your opportunity to bring ideas to the table and to learn about the issues.”
To register for the April 5 webinar, scan the QR code with a smartphone or go to this link.
When registering, dairy farmers and leaders in state and national dairy farm organizations can reserve a spot to speak to provide input on solutions to the panelists and other attendees.
The main goal of this webinar is to hear farmer perspectives and begin to pull ideas together. During the webinar, there will also be opportunities to submit questions in the queue for the moderator.
About The American Dairy Coalition
The American Dairy Coalition (ADC) is a farmer-led national lobbying organization of progressive, modern dairy farmers. We focus on federal dairy policy. For more information, contact CEO Laurie Fischer at 314-391-8390.