Dairy Farmers of America (DFA), a national cooperative owned by family dairy farmers across the U.S., is pleased that both the House and Senate have passed a Farm Bill, which includes several important changes to the Margin Protection Program (MPP), now called the Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) program. Along with our more than 14,500 dairy farmer members, we urge the President to take quick action and sign the bill into law before the end of the year.
“With the stress dairy farmers have been under the last few years, this bill, with improved risk management tools, is welcome,” says John Wilson, senior vice president and chief fluid marketing officer at DFA. “We hope that a rapid approval of the bill will provide our farmers with a bit of relief and more options as we head into 2019.”
Wilson adds, “The bill also includes a program that allow farmers, processors and cooperatives to work together to donate milk to food banks and feeding organizations in their community. Another program incentivizes milk purchases by Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients. These programs ensure the hungriest in our nation have access to nutrient-dense milk, which is a win-win for farmers and consumers alike.”
We would like to thank the Senate, the House of Representatives and the champions of the legislation, Sens. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) and Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) and Reps. Mike Conaway (R-Texas) and Collin Peterson (D-Minn.) for their leadership in this effort.
Dairy Farmers of America is a national, farmer-owned dairy cooperative focusing on quality, innovation and the future of family dairies. While supporting and serving more than 14,500 family farmers, DFA works with some of the world’s largest food companies to develop ingredients that satisfy their customers’ cravings while staying committed to social responsibility and ethical farming. For more information, please visit dfamilk.com.
