Washington and Oregon ag directors support federal help for dairy
Washington Ag Today October 8, 2009 The directors of the state departments of agriculture in Washington and Oregon are endorsing a national proposal to boost milk prices and keep northwest dairy farms in business. Dan Newhouse of Washington and Kathy Coba of Oregon have written the USDA and members of congress from their respective states supporting a plan proposed by the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture. Under the NASDA plan, USDA would buy 75 million pounds of cheese and other dairy products aimed to support a market milk price of $16 dollars a hundredweight, which is said to cover the cost of production. If needed, USDA would make two additional, similar-sized buys of dairy products over a 120-day period to maintain the $16 target price. The product purchases would go to federal nutrition and feeding programs and community food banks for which demand has increase during the economic recession. The 2010 ag spending bill to be finalized by congress contains 350 million dollars to help dairy. Chris Galen of the National Milk Producers Federation says the industry wanted all the money to go to product purchases but; Galen: “The decision by congress was to take 60 million and spend it on cheese and take other 290 and spend it on direct payments. Again that is politics. It is the art of compromise.” Whatever they do, Galen says it’s hoped they act quickly. Dairy farmers in the Pacific Northwest continue to battle low price for their milk, a battle many are losing. WSDA says in the first nine months of 2009, thirty-nine Washington dairy farms have terminated their licenses. I’m Bob Hoff and that’s Washington Ag Today on the Northwest Ag Information Network.
