Associated Milk Producers Inc. (AMPI) Chairman of the Board Steve Schlangen, Albany, Minn., represented dairy farmers at today’s signing ceremony for the 2018 Farm Bill. The bill introduces Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC), an updated safety net program that better reflects the costs farmers face to produce milk, providing coverage at more affordable rates.
Schlangen says the bill represents an improved safety net for dairy farm families. “I believe the new policy will provide certainty in very uncertain times, and hope for the future of our industry and the rural communities we live in and support.”
While the new DMC program is a significant step, Schlangen says there is much work to be done to restore economic health for dairy farmers who are entering the fifth year of depressed market prices.
“AMPI has long recognized the importance of engaging with policymakers and advocating for dairy farmers," Schlangen says. "We look forward to working with the new Congress and USDA on policy initiatives that benefit dairy farm families and restore trade opportunities for U.S. dairy products.”
AMPI is headquartered in New Ulm, Minn., and owned by dairy farm families from Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota and North Dakota. AMPI members annually market about 5.7 billion pounds of milk, resulting in $1.7 billion in sales for the cooperative. AMPI owns 10 Midwest-based manufacturing plants, making 10 percent of the country's American-type cheese and butter. The cooperative’s award-winning cheese, butter and powdered dairy products are marketed to foodservice, retail and food ingredient customers.
