NMPF Board Votes to Support Extension of Current Farm Bill

The NMPF Board of Directors voted unanimously June 7th in support of extending the current Farm Bill for another year.

The concept of a one-year extension has been supported by some leaders in the House and the Senate as an appropriate step in light of the current uncertainties over the impact of a potential World Trade Organization agreement on U.S. farm programs [see story below]. The extension would also preserve baseline funding for key agricultural programs such as the dairy price support program.

The current farm bill is set to expire on Sept. 30, 2007. NMPF will be working in the coming months with the House and Senate agriculture committees, to share ideas about various policy approaches for the new farm bill.

In other news, the NMPF Board also voted to approve the application for membership in NMPF of Humboldt Creamery of Fortuna, CA. Humboldt becomes the 34th member of NMPF.

Matt & Jennifer Berge Young Cooperators with Land O'Lakes visited with their elected officials as part of the YC Legislative and Policy Forum.

Jerry Kozak & Roger Eldridge
talk with Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA)
during the Captiol Hill Reception

Chairman Charles Beckendorf (Left) and Secretary Cornell Kasbergen (Right) talk wtih Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA) during Dairy Dairy on Capitol Hill.

Sen. John Thune (R-SD) addresses the NMPF
PAC at a breakfast prior to the NMPF Board of Directors Meeting.

NMPF Meets with WTO Director

Representatives of NMPF and several other U.S. farm organizations met last week with WTO Director General Pascal Lamy to discuss the ongoing WTO negotiations.

NMPF discussed its position, outlined in a recent letter to President Bush, that the U.S. should consider reducing its original offer in the WTO talks unless additional farm policy concessions are put on the table by other countries involved in the negotiations.

NMPF and others repeated its core message that any additional compromise by the U.S. is only acceptable if the WTO negotiations yield an important net gain for American farmers through firm commitments on market access and other trade-distorting policies by America's trading partners.

In turn, Lamy pointed out the difficult situation facing negotiators at this late stage in the talks. He said that other countries continue to expect the U.S. to reduce its domestic farm supports.

WTO ministers will be meeting again at the end of June to try to reach a breakthrough on market access and domestic support in time to meet an end of July deadline for agreeing on the specifics of the agreement in each of the three major areas under discussion in this Round: market access, domestic support, and export competition.

Senate Approves Schwab to be Trade Chief

The Senate last week approved the nomination of Susan Schwab to be U.S. Trade Representative. Schwab was formerly the Deputy USTR for Europe, the Middle East and the Americas, and takes over the top trade post from Rob Portman at a time when the Doha round of world trade talks is approaching a critical phase.

Schwab is third U.S. Trade Representative in a little more than five years, following Portman who was in the job for about 13 months, and Robert Zoellick, who was Bush's first USTR, and is now deputy secretary of state.

NMPF Comments on Organic Pasture Standards

One of the more contentious issues currently facing organic milk production is access to pasture for dairy animals. Numerous times over the past decade, the National Organics Standards Board has examined what constitutes terms such as "access" and "pasture," and whether the organic standards should include pasturing as a requirement.

In response to an invitation from the USDA on the matter, NMPF expressed support in recent comments for NOP pasture regulations which are size-neutral, thereby allowing any size dairy producer the opportunity to produce organic milk if so desired. NMPF believes that the current NOP regulations for access to pasture are adequate.

Current pasture access regulations allow for some flexibility in organic production and should be maintained. Potential exists to limit organic milk production by farm size or geographic regions. If a regulation is developed to require a specific level of daily pasture, producers in these areas would be unable to meet organic standards, according to NMPF's comments.

Just as current NOP regulations provide flexibility in geographic location, the current regulations are size-neutral. Arbitrarily imposing new pasture requirements not decided through science based studies will a portion of the dairy producer community will be excluded from the opportunity to produce organic milk.

Shawna Morris Promoted to Director of Government Relations and Trade

NMPF has promoted Shawna Morris to Director of Government Relations and Trade. Previously, Morris served as NMPF's Manager of Government Relations and Trade.

Morris's duties as Director include drafting comments for and testifying at government hearings on trade-related topics, helping develop NMPF's trade policy, representing NMPF in meetings with government and association representatives, lobbying Congress on NMPF's behalf, and serving on the U.S. Agriculture Technical Advisory Committee for Animals and Animal Products.

Morris has been employed by NMPF since May 2003. She previously worked in the field of economic and financial analysis. She earned a B.A. in Economics from the College of William and Mary in 2000.

Hurricane Funding Up Other Agriculture Disaster Aid Down

The House and Senate both have now approved final conference legislation that would grant disaster aid to areas ravaged by Hurricane Katrina. The bill provides $30 million in indemnity funds for livestock producers. $17 million in funding was provided for milk production loses and dairy spoilage. The relief was part of the global war on terror spending bill, or “supplemental appropriations bill”.

The negotiators, under threat of a Presidential veto, dropped disaster payments for other areas affected by drought, and higher production costs due to increases in fuel and fertilizer.

NMPF is seeking Johnes Disease funding equal to last year’s Senate approved number of $18.7 million, and full funding of the MAP and FMD export assistance programs.

Associate Member Focus: Schreiber Foods

Schreiber Foods is the world's largest customer-brand dairy company. They provide products to the biggest names in fast food and are the world's largest supplier of private-label dairy products to grocery chains and wholesalers.

Schreiber focus on the needs of each customer and its marketplace providing products from cream cheese to natural cheese to high-end specialty cheese and yogurt.

Schreiber is headquartered in Green Bay, WI. To learn more about Schreiber contact Deborah Van Dyk at 920-437-7601 or visit their website at www.schreiberfoods.com.