The U.S. Department of Agriculture released this week a proposed rule recommending the establishment of a Federal Milk Marketing Order for California. Written comments may be submitted through May 15, 2017, and USDA will consider the filings before issuing a final rule, likely sometime later this summer or fall.

After that, USDA will conduct a referendum of dairy producers affected by the final rule. A two-thirds majority of this voting group must signal approval before USDA can announce a date to begin enforcing the new regulations.

The proposed rule references a Regulatory Economic Impact Analysis Report and notes that USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service will conduct a public meeting on February 22, 2017, at the Clovis Veterans Memorial District Building in Clovis, Calif. The meeting will be webcast for those unable to attend in person, and the link will be posted at www.ams.usda.gov/caorder before the hearing begins.

Summary and Economic Analysis

Members may login to read IDFA’s “Summary of USDA’s proposed rule for a Federal Milk Marketing Order regulating the handling of milk in California.”