Breaking News ...
Updated as of August 25, 2008
Implementation of Make Allowance Updates Delayed by Lawsuit
Several dairy producer groups filed a lawsuit on August 15 seeking to stop implementation of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's interim rule that amends Class III and Class IV product prices. Four days later, USDA and the plaintiffs agreed to delay the implementation of the rule, originally scheduled for September 1, for one month. IDFA has been allowed to intervene as a party to the lawsuit and will participate at a hearing to review the merits of the lawsuit on September 16. For more information, click here.
USDA Streamlines Change Process for Federal Orders; May Assess Handlers
The U.S. Department of Agriculture last week announced a final rule that changes its procedures for amending the Federal Milk Marketing Orders and opens the door for possible assessments on handlers that pool milk and are regulated by the federal milk pricing system. According to the rule, USDA must act more quickly on proposals requesting amendments to the federal orders and follow a tighter timeframe for issuing decisions following a hearing. For more information, click here.
IDFA Members Oppose Changes to Class I Differentials in Mideast Region
Several IDFA members attended last week's U.S. Department of Agriculture hearing in Cincinnati to oppose a proposal to change certain Class I differentials in the Mideast milk marketing order. The members outlined the negative economic and marketing consequences that the proposed changes would bring and demonstrated that there is no need to consider the proposal on an emergency basis. In his testimony, Evan Kinser of Dean Foods Company urged USDA to return to a national pricing surface for Class I products and to abandon the temporary adjustment in Class I differentials included in the recent Southeast decision. For more information, click here.
Dairy Market Update: Record U.S. Dairy Exports Continue in 2008
The value of U.S. dairy exports in the first half of 2008 totaled over $2,105 million, increasing more than 75 percent over the same period last year and setting a record for the second consecutive year. The primary factor driving this increase has been higher world dairy product prices, notes Bob Yonkers, IDFA chief economist, in his market update column this month. In contrast, the value of U.S. dairy product imports increased only 13 percent to $1,447 million. To read the column, click here.
As Presidential Election Looms, IDFA Members Make Dairy Count
The month of August is typically a quiet time in Washington, D.C., as members of Congress return to their home districts for recess, but it's been a busy time for many IDFA member companies. Taking their cues from IDFA's GrassRoots Action Network for Dairy, or GRAND, program, dairy processors across the country are using the legislative downtime to invite congressional leaders to their processing facilities for educational tours and policy discussions. For more information, click here.
IDFA to Offer Second SQF Certification Workshop in October
Responding to industry demand, IDFA will hold a second Safe Quality Food (SQF) Certified Practitioner Workshop on October 15-16 in Chicago. "IDFA's first SQF workshop, held earlier this month, was very successful in preparing attendees to develop plans that meet SQF third-party auditing requirements and satisfy dairy industry customers," said Allen Sayler, IDFA vice president of regulatory and international affairs. The first workshop sold out quickly, and attendance at the October workshop will be limited to the first 20 people who register. For more information and to register, click here.
2007 PMO Now Available in Print
IDFA has 250 print copies of the 2007 Pasteurized Milk Ordinance available for distribution to interested members. To request a copy, members may contact Brian Fields, IDFA assistant for regulatory affairs, at 202-220-3566 or bfields@idfa.org. The copies are free, but a $5.00 postage-and-handling fee will be added to each order. An electronic version of the 2007 PMO was released earlier this year and can be downloaded from the IDFA website.
Save the Date: Dairy Forum 2009 Set for January 11-14 in Orlando
Widely considered the industry's premier meeting, IDFA's Dairy Forum brings together producers, processors, suppliers and policy makers to discuss the latest industry trends, challenges and opportunities. Mark your calendar now and plan to join your colleagues at Dairy Forum 2009, January 11-14, at Disney’s Yacht & Beach Club Resort in Orlando, Fla. Across three days of presentations, roundtable discussions and networking opportunities, Dairy Forum 2009 will tackle key issues such as the impact of current policies on domestic markets and international trade, the status of milk pricing reform, and the challenges, opportunities and latest innovations for marketing dairy products. For preliminary information, click here.
For more news on regulatory, legislative, international and marketing issues or on membership and educational opportunities, visit IDFA's News Center.
