11/10/08 New direction for the dairy industry

Its time to think about changes now when the dairy industry is enjoying a good year. GALEN "You do the things not because they are easy but because they are hard." That's what National Milk Producers Federation spokesman Chris Galen is saying. Federation leadership wants a new course for the future in five areas. GALEN "Labor availability is a key issue on a lot of dairy farms not just on larger dairies but on all across the country and yet Congress and our elected officials have failed so far to implement any meaningful reform of immigration laws." Galen stressed the need to reform and revitalize the federal milk marketing order program. GALEN "But its always a robbing Peter to pay Paul type dynamic and so we want to try to get beyond that by reforming the federal order system and getting rid of the make along structure." The milk producer group is encouraging the industry to consider alternatives to Dairy Product Price Support and MILC, the Milk Income Loss Contract programs. GALEN "Replacing those with some other things that will help assure producer margins." Galen says the final two points CEO Jerry Kozak proposes are a more comprehensive approach to animal care and well-being and addressing the need to maintain and expand CWT, the farmer-funded self-help program Cooperatives Working Together. Today's Idaho Ag News Bill Scott