National Milk Producers Federation

The following statement was issued today by Jerry Kozak, President and CEO of the National Milk Producers Federation, in response to the announcement December 19, 2007, by companies involved in cloning livestock that they have worked with the food marketing chain to develop a supply management chain system to track cattle and swine clones:

•    We understand that some consumers have concerns about animal cloning, which is why the National Milk Producers Federation has supported this effort to register and track animal clones.

•    Some dairy marketers have expressed an interest in restricting the milk from cloned cattle from their supply chain, so we are encouraged that cloning companies recognize the importance of a supply chain management system to help identify the presence of clones.

•    The Food and Drug Administration has not lifted the voluntary moratorium on the marketing of meat and milk from cloned animals, but it’s important to have a SCM system in place in advance of any government action in the future.

•    We intend to continue working with the cloning technology companies, and the livestock owners who purchase clones, to ensure that the components of the SCM system function properly.

•    We don’t anticipate a large number of clones on dairy farms – it is likely to remain a niche technology that only a few producers may use for breeding purposes – but the SCM process will help identify them for marketing purposes.

The National Milk Producers Federation, based in Arlington, VA, develops and carries out policies that advance the well being of dairy producers and the cooperatives they own. The members of NMPF’s 31 cooperatives produce the majority of the U.S. milk supply, making NMPF the voice of nearly 50,000 dairy producers on Capitol Hill and with government agencies.