Dairy Defined

Governing in 2021 is difficult, with a narrowly divided Congress and a new administration facing significant challenges, said Paul Bleiberg, NMPF’s senior vice president for government relations, in an NMPF podcast. Still, policy progress for dairy is possible, especially given the sector’s reputation for bipartisan cooperation, he said. 

Newly released federal dietary guidelines will benefit dairy, even as work remains to be done, said Miquela Hanselman, NMPF’s regulatory affairs manager. “Dairy is in a good place,” Hanselman said. “Three servings of low-fat and non-fat dairy are continued to be recommended in the healthy U.S. and vegetarian diets, and dairy remained its own group. In addition, dairy was recognized as a source of...

Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Pat Roberts is leaving Congress after 40 years in January. The only person to lead both the House and Senate agriculture committees takes with him a wealth of wisdom in agriculture policy – but also holds optimism for agriculture’s ability to get things done in an environment of difficult challenges. “I would just say that I am very confident that the people w...

Forecasts for prices and politics both make signup for the Dairy Margin Coverage Program a compelling risk-management choice for 2021, National Milk Producers Federation Senior Vice President for Member Services & Strategic Initiatives Chris Galen says. “Congress is still trying to pass another stimulus bill to help all walks of life in our society and our economy and hopefully agriculture wil...

James Weber is learning as he goes along – but the coronavirus pandemic, disrupted international markets, shifting technology and turbulent political debates make life as a beginning dairy farmer challenging, as Weber, explains.

The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted lives transformed everything from schooling and shopping habits to … cheese contests. It’s not something most people think about, but in a time of social distancing and curtailed travel, how exactly does one gather, sample, compare and celebrate world-class cheeses, virtually? 

The extreme disruptions and financial upheaval caused by the COVID-19 pandemic have created real struggles for dairy producers – and the industry has responded by rising to an unprecedented occasion, said Randy Mooney, chairman of the National Milk Producers Federation, to delegates at the organization’s first-ever virtual annual meeting. 

On National Farmer’s Day, dairy farmer Suzanne Vold is highlighting dairy’s commitments to the environment and a net-zero future, noting that her colleagues are already effective stewards and are committed to doing more.

On National Farmer’s Day, dairy farmer Suzanne Vold is highlighting dairy’s commitments to the environment and a net-zero future, noting that her colleagues are already effective stewards and are committed to doing more. 

The Dairy Margin Coverage program has worked well for the farmers who signed up for it, while other federal programs ranging from emergency loans to disaster payments have helped keep dairy farms afloat during the coronavirus crisis, said Rep. Glenn “GT” Thompson, R-PA.

Election-year politics is complicating efforts to push additional agriculture aid through Congress, but already-authorized spending may allow USDA to aid dairy farmers facing unstable roller-coaster prices and shifting supply chains, said Paul Bleiberg, NMPF’s vice president for government relations, in an NMPF podcast.

The coronavirus crisis is far from over, but the food supply chain has adapted effectively even as challenges remain,  said Clay Detlefsen, chief counsel for the National Milk Producers Federation and the private-sector chair of the Food and Agricultural Sector Coordinating Council, in an NMPF podcast.

Dairy prices that plunged, then skyrocketed, have settled – for a moment. But volatility should be expected as long as COVID-19 makes its way through the economy, said Peter Vitaliano, chief economist for NMPF.

Public comments on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans Committee’s scientific report may be submitted until Aug. 13. It’s a great time for dairy voices to be heard, said Miquela Hanselman, NMPF’s manager for regulatory affairs.

The Dairy Margin Coverage Program and with other federal risk management programs have served farmers well during the coronavirus crisis and will continue to offer effective aid, as long as farmers participate, House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson said. “Dairy now has, I think, the best safety net of any part of agriculture, especially for small dairy farmers,” said Peterson, a Dem...

The U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement is in effect, boosting opportunities for dairy producers. But enforcement vigilance will be necessary to make sure the deal meets its potential, said Shawna Morris, vice president for trade at the National Milk Producers Federation and the U.S. Dairy Export Council.

Dairy prices have rebounded dramatically because farmers quickly adjusted their milk production and consumers boosted retail demand as government purchases kicked in to help offset lost food-service sales, said Peter Vitaliano, chief economist for the National Milk Producers Federation. “That has resulted in a very, very rapid change in the market price outlook,” Vitaliano said in an NMPF podcast...

Higher milk prices and effective federal policies – both encouraged by dairy’s unity in responding to the coronavirus crisis – are dramatically turning around dairy-farmer fortunes and presenting opportunities to build on positive lessons learned, according to James “Cricket” Jacquier, a member of the NMPF’s executive committee and chairman of the board for Agri-Mark.

Far-reaching dairy sustainability goals, including a pledge for net-zero emissions by 2050, go hand-in-hand with economic opportunity for dairy farmers, said Krysta Harden, executive vice president, global environmental strategy, for Dairy Management Inc. and Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy.

This week farmers received welcome relief from the Trump Administration through its Coronavirus Food Assistance Program, for which farmers can sign up starting May 26 – but that may not be Washington’s last work on farm aid this year. More assistance may be on the way, even though the details and timing remain unclear, according to Paul Bleiberg, vice president for government relations at the Nati...

The economic and health risks of coronavirus have many dairy producers on edge – but staying focused on the task at hand and remembering the value that dairy farming provides can help carry farmers through, says Emily Yeiser-Stepp, vice president at the National Milk Producers Federation and director of National Dairy Farmers Assuring Responsible Management, a.k.a. the FARM Program.

Lags in timing for milk payments have kept many dairy farmers from feeling the worst effects of the coronavirus crisis’s effects on their revenues – but that will soon change, said Leroy Plagerman, a dairy farmer in Whatcom County, in the northwest corner of Washington. One of the biggest challenges dairies face is “just the challenge of the uncertainty, and not knowing how long this is going to l...

Catastrophically low milk prices may decline further in May and June, making all-hands-on-deck efforts to find solutions for all dairy producers necessary, Peter Vitaliano, chief economist for the National Milk Producers Federation, says in a new NMPF podcast.

Congress’s move to replenish two coronavirus-related assistance programs that are available to dairy businesses may help keep some dairies afloat – but application windows may close fast, said Claudia Larson, government relations director at the National Milk Producers Federation. Congress’s latest $484 billion coronavirus aid package replenishes two new small business loan programs that were over...

Even U.S. dairy struggles to meet the immediate challenges of coronavirus, its work on expanding overseas markets continues “not with an eye on what’s going to happen necessarily in the next week, but what needs to happen over the next year or two” to help the industry recover, said Shawna Morris, vice president for trade at the National Milk Producers Federation.