The omnibus spending bill passed by the House and Senate last week included language regarding milk labeling. The bill directs the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to take action against mislabeled imitation dairy foods, a move the National Milk Producers Federation says is a major victory for farmers and consumers alike. Federation president and CEO Jim Mulhern says the bill …
NAFTA Agreement Vital to U.S. Dairy Industry
With the ongoing North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) renegotiations, it most likely will be several more months before dairy farmers will know what to expect with our trading partners to the North and South. With Mexico being a vital market for U.S. dairy producers, a National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) spokesperson says a new agreement should “do no harm” …
NMPF on Shoring Up the Dairy Safety Net
The National Milk Producers Federation March CEO’s Corner titled, “Congress Shores up the Dairy Safety Net,” is now available on the NMPF website. But in his March column, NMPF President and CEO Jim Mulhern reviews the changes they worked with Congress on to make in the dairy safety net, and discusses how these changes will benefit dairy farmers. He notes it …
Dairy Industry Emphasizing Unity
International Dairy Foods Association President and CEO Michael Dykes gave his annual state-of-the-industry speech to the Dairy Forum in California. One of his highlights focused on the unity between dairy producers and processors. The Hagstrom Report says that unity that has led to joint positions on the upcoming farm bill, as well as the Trump Administration’s strong advocacy for dairy …
Some Sections of NAFTA Negotiations Closer to Completion
While the U.S. is still unhappy with the slow pace in the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) negotiations, there are some sections that are close to completed. Canada’s chief NAFTA negotiator says that the sixth round of talks could lead to a revamped sanitary and phytosanitary chapter of the pact. Politico says that chapter covers rules on food safety …
Lower Milk Prices in 2018?
As America’s dairy farmers look to 2018, they’re wondering whether or not higher prices are on the horizon. A Dairy Herd Dot Com article says a massive herd, large domestic supply, falling domestic demand, and a strong dollar all show that prices may slip before they improve. Mike North of Commodity Risk Management says there’s a growing supply of product …
Last Minute 2017 Legislation Efforts Benefit Dairy Farmers
Congress spent the final few weeks of the year addressing legislation that benefits dairy farmers. Starting with the tax bill, the legislation means lower taxes for dairy farmers. However, that wasn’t the case in the original legislation, according to National Milk Producers Federation spokesperson Chris Galen. Tax While the Section 199 deduction was eliminated in the approved version of the …
Farm Co-ops Get Section 199 Fix in Tax Bill
The National Council of Farmer Cooperatives praised lawmakers for their work in providing a fix for the repeal of the section 199 Deduction. NCFC applauded Senator John Hoeven of North Dakota and Senator John Thune of South Dakota for their work in adding the language to the tax bill, along with Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Pat Roberts. Previously, NCFC said …
Mend, Don’t End NAFTA
Officials from Canada, Mexico, and the U.S. will begin a technical round of meetings on the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) on Monday. Top negotiating officials aren’t scheduled to be in Washington next week. They’ll appear at the next formal round of talks, which will be next January in Montreal. National Milk Producers Federation President and CEO Jim Mulhern …
National Milk Producers Federation Talks Issues at Annual Meeting
The dairy industry gathered recently in California at the 101st Annual Meeting of the National Milk Producers Federation in Anaheim. For the last 20 years, the meeting has been held in conjunction with the National Dairy Checkoff. Chris Galen with the National Milk Producers Federation says there are many topics on the table for the dairy industry. In regard to …