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IDFA Members Ask Ag Secretary for Dairy Reforms in Next Farm Bill During the August 4 Farm Bill Forum in Wisconsin, dairy processors and farmers called on Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns to make changes to dairy policies in the next Farm Bill that would improve the competitiveness of the U.S. dairy industry. The secretary hosted the forum as part of his cross-country listening tour, seeking input from Americans on the shape of the 2007 Farm Bill. Three IDFA members spoke at the event, asking for such dairy policy reforms as a simplified federal order system and a streamlined decision-making process for federal order changes."The current Federal Milk Marketing Order pricing system is too complex," said Rich Scheuerman, president and CEO of Alto Dairy Cooperative. "It is unresponsive to changes in the industry, favors some regions of the country over others and is based on make allowances and yield factors that do not reflect reality." John Umhoefer, executive director of the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association, stressed the importance of risk management tools and called for the return of forward contracting in order to keep pace with today's business environment. Grande Cheese Vice President John Fridirici asked the secretary "to use the 'marketplace' more and regulations less" as the 2007 Farm Bill is being designed, while also calling for dairy policy changes that will allow the industry to compete in the global marketplace. "Old-fashioned principles of service, quality, hard work and common sense are suffocated by product definitions, manufacturing protocols and price regulation," Fridirici stated. During the Wisconsin event, dairy farmers added their voices in requesting increased access to world markets. In fact, on the opinion page in that morning's Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, dairy farmer John Vrieze of Emerald, Wis., echoed those sentiments and asked Secretary Johanns for a new dairy safety net that will allow markets to operate more efficiently and comply with existing and future trade agreements. "The next Farm Bill can be a win-win-win for dairy farmers, processors and consumers," Vrieze wrote. "If we can get some dairy policies in place that make sense for today's world, we can bring more dairy products to consumers in the U.S. and overseas, and we can compete without losing ground to the rest of the world." To read Vrieze's full opinion piece, click here. There will be at least five more Farm Bill Forums in the next two weeks: August 11 in Des Moines, Iowa; August 12 in Fresno, Calif.; August 16 in University Park, Pa.; August 17 in Jackson Hole, Wyo., and August 18 in Indianapolis, Ind. Posted August 8, 2005
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