Milk Producers Council
"Serving
the Dairy Industry for more than 60 Years"
|
|
|
|
From The MPC Newsletter A Big Week for the Growth Management Plan This week brought some very big developments in our continuing efforts to build national support for a program like the Growth Management Plan (GMP). As I’ve reported in our newsletter in recent weeks, the Holstein Association USA has taken the concept of the Growth Management Plan, added some additional detail and unveiled it as the “Dairy Price Stabilization Program” (DPSP). A summary of the DPSP can be found on their website at: http://www.holsteinusa.com/association/dairyprice.html. Like the GMP, this program would create a tangible, financial incentive for dairies to manage their milk production. This simple incentive would give dairymen a reason to manage how much milk is going into their tanks – something that most dairymen across the country have no incentive to do. The involvement of the Holstein Association in this discussion is a tremendously positive development, as they represent 30,000 members from every dairy area throughout the U.S. At the MPC board meeting this week, our board voted unanimously to support the efforts of the Holstein Association and work together to build national support for the DPSP. Another huge development this week was the announcement by National Milk Producers Federation that they are setting up a task force that will, among other things, examine proposals like the Dairy Price Stabilization Program. NMPF is a national leader in the dairy industry, and having them engaged in this debate is a huge step forward. If you haven’t already seen their press release, you can find it on their website: http://www.nmpf.org/latest_news/press_releases/task_force051109. According to a letter this week from DFA President and CEO Rick Smith to his members, the DFA corporate board is also setting up a task force to look at “supply management/price stabilization programs and policies.” As the largest cooperative in the U.S., DFA carries tremendous power in our industry. With that power comes tremendous responsibility. It is extremely encouraging to see them actively involved in exploring these proposals that would address the fundamental problem of milk price volatility. And finally, today a group of producers from the northeast U.S. – Dairy Farmers Working Together – formally announced their support for the Dairy Price Stabilization Program. You can read the press release on their website: http://www.dfwt.org. Across the country, the long-term future of the dairy industry is being mapped out as we speak, and California’s industry leaders need to be engaged in this process. Every producer in California ought to be calling their co-op and trade association leadership and asking them what they are doing to address the single largest threat to this industry – massive boom/bust volatility in our milk price. Our leadership needs to hear from you, the producers. |
|
Send mail to office@milkproducers.org with
questions or comments about this web site.
|
