The CEO of a major farmer-owned dairy cooperative in Washington state told a congressional panel that the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) has created jobs and increased sales for his company and the entire U.S. dairy sector and that a renegotiated treaty must maintain market access to Mexico while also fixing trade challenges with Canada. “An agreement that has …
Demonstrating Careful Antibiotic Stewardship
by Jim Mulhern, President, and CEO National Milk Producers Federation The rise in antibiotic-resistant bacteria seen in the United States and elsewhere in the world is frequently and unfairly blamed on antibiotic use in agriculture. This is unfortunate because it tends to mask the real problem: misuse of antibiotics in human medicine. The reality is that the vast majority of …
NMPF Leaders Applaud European High Court Ruling Preventing Imitators from Using Dairy Names
The recent European Court of Justice ruling upholding European Union regulations that prevent plant-based dairy alternatives from using terms like “milk,” “cheese” and “yogurt” is a victory for the same battle occurring in the United States, leaders of the National Milk Producers Federation told their French dairy counterparts. During a visit, Friday with French dairy cooperative Sodiaal and the French …
NMPF Board of Directors Supports NAFTA Modernization
Process Should Preserve Trade Successes in Mexico, Address Canada Dispute The National Milk Producers Federation Board of Directors voted unanimously to support modernizing the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in a way that enhances and protects the United States’ current dairy market access opportunities and addresses Canada’s constant use of trade-distorting measures. At its June meeting here, NMPF’s board …
Dairy Groups Pledge to Work with Trump Administration on NAFTA Modernization
Two leading dairy groups said they will work with the Trump Administration to modernize the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) to make sure it safeguards open trade with Mexico and confronts increasingly protectionist dairy policies by Canada. In joint comments sent to the U.S. Trade Representative, the U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC) and the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) …
Dairy Industry Welcomes Swift Action by USTR Lighthizer to Launch NAFTA Modernization Efforts
The U.S. dairy industry commended Robert Lighthizer, the newly confirmed U.S. Trade Representative, for taking swift action under the Bipartisan Congressional Trade Priorities and Accountability Act (TPA) to begin the process for modernizing the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). In a notification letter sent today to Congress, Ambassador Lighthizer outlined some of the areas of the agreement that are …
NMPF Facilitates NCIMS Passage of Proposals to Enhance Safety of Dairy Foods
The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) helped secure several positive developments for dairy farmers and their cooperatives at the National Conference on Interstate Milk Shipments (NCIMS) this week, as multiple NMPF-led initiatives won approval from the NCIMS delegates during their biennial meeting here. The NCIMS is a national cooperative regulatory program that includes state milk regulatory agencies, dairy companies and …
State Milk Regulators Ask FDA for Assistance
State milk regulators requested that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) work with them to enforce the proper use of milk and milk product labeling terms, especially those meant to distinguish between real dairy products and plant-based imitators – a development the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) hailed as “the strongest statement yet that the abuse of dairy terms …
Dairy Industry Eager to Work With U.S. Trade Representative Lighthizer
The dairy industry is eager to work with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer to protect and expand market access for U.S. dairy while addressing problematic Canadian dairy policies, the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) and the U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC) said today following Lighthizer’s Senate confirmation. Lighthizer will begin work on a variety of pressing trade policy issues, including …
NMPF April Dairy Market Report
The April Dairy Market Report has fluid milk sales showing the lowest volume decline in almost a year during November 2016–January 2017. American-type cheese consumption continued to outpace that of other cheeses during the same period. American-type cheese exports showed positive growth for the first time in more than a year during December 2016–February 2017. U.S.exports of dry ingredient products …