Federal Milk Marketing Order Hearing Update

Yesterday, we heard from the National Milk Producers Federation, Senior Vice President of Member Services and Governance Chris Galen, on leadership changes for the organization going into the new year. Today, Galen provides an update on the Federal Milk Marketing Order.

“Differentials and all the counties of which there are over 3000 all the counties in the US and so there's a lot of individual examination even at the county by county level of our proposal. And so that's kind of drawing out the hearing.”

He says the real work for USDA will be going through the testimony and comments from the hearing.

“USDA then has to digest all of the information they have had already. And it's not even done yet. Something like 10,000 pages, a transcript of 10,000 pages from the hearing. So a lot of witness testimony for the agency to digest. And then they come out with a recommended proposal which then is open to the industry for comment, come go back and come up with a final proposal that will go to a farmers to vote on.”

The federal milk marketing orders a program overseen by the USDA that regulates the dairy industry. It includes 11 milk marketing orders and applies to about 75% of total US milk production. Federal milk marketing orders our regulatory framework established by the agricultural marketing agreement act of 1937 to stabilize milk prices and ensure a steady supply of milk to consumers.