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NEWS RELEASE Contact: Kathleen Nelson
(Washington, D.C., May 20, 2003 ) IDFA Executive Vice President Connie Tipton spoke before the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Department Operations, Oversight, Nutrition and Forestry today to highlight the challenges facing the U.S. dairy industry and the broadening agreement that current dairy policies and programs are not working. The Chairman of the House subcommittee called this hearing to gather input from all segments of the dairy industry on current market conditions and government policies. Tipton testified that current federal policies are distorting dairy markets, creating a fractured dairy industry and inhibiting the industry's ability to adjust to changing economic conditions and new market opportunities. Tipton said, "It is important to look not only at supply and price and the government for solutions, but also at demand and to markets. The answer is to revamp the underlying programs, not start another new subsidy program." Tipton provided samples of new, single-serve milks that are in both regional and national distribution to help the subcommittee focus on how innovative products battle for markets and the need for reducing regulatory impediments to growing those markets. Tipton closed by telling the subcommittee, "We believe there should be one national safety net for dairy that is fair across all regions and has the least market distorting effect, while providing the critical assistance to dairy producers when needed. Our organization is committed to working toward a policy environment that unshackles the U.S. dairy industry and allows it to prosper at all levels." Click here to review Tipton's official testimony to the subcommittee (23 pages, .pdf)
# # # IDFA is the Washington, DC-based organization representing the nation's dairy processing and manufacturing industries, and their suppliers. IDFA is composed of three constituent organizations: Milk Industry Foundation (MIF), National Cheese Institute (NCI) and International Ice Cream Association (IICA). Its 500-plus members range from large multinational corporations to single-plant operations, and represent more than 85% of the total volume of milk, cultured products, cheese, and ice cream and frozen desserts produced and marketed in the United States, an estimated $70-billion industry.
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