Author: dcadmin

Ways & Means Chair Highlights NMPF Concern on GIs, Trade Barriers

Posted on by dcadmin

In separate mid-June comments, the chairmen of both the House Ways and Means Committee and its trade subcommittee expressed strong opposition to European Union efforts to use geographical indications to restrict the use of generic food names. They also underscored the importance of securing favorable outcomes for the Trans Pacific Partnership negotiations, particularly with Japan on agricultural issues.

Both Ways and Means Chairman Dave Camp (R-MI, pictured above) and Trade Subcommittee Chairman Devin Nunes (R-CA) said U.S.-EU negotiations on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership are important opportunities but only if progress is made on eliminating barriers to agriculture exports.

Camp, speaking to the Global Business Dialogue, an international business group focused on trade, said the EU must follow through on pledges to eliminate its agriculture tariffs and address food safety barriers not based on science. In addition, he said, “We must also end the EU’s improper use of GIs to block U.S. exports to Europe and third countries.”

Nunes, opening a hearing on expanding U.S. farm trade, said he was “particularly concerned” about improper European use of GIs to restrict on the use of generic food names. “This threatens the U.S. dairy industry and cannot be tolerated,” he added. 

TTIP negotiations are scheduled to resume this month in Brussels, where NPPF staff will meet with EU representatives on both geographical indications and other dairy issues.

On separate negotiations over the Pacific trade agreement, also resuming this month, both Camp and Nunes stressed the importance of securing access to Japan’s agricultural market.

NMPF Chairman Randy Mooney discussed increased access to both the Japanese and Canadian dairy markets with New Zealand Trade Minister Timothy Groser during Groser’s visit to Washington in June. Like NMPF, New Zealand favors opening the Japanese dairy market through the Trans Pacific Partnership.  Early in June more than three dozen U.S. dairy companies, all members of NMPF or the U.S. Dairy Export Council, threatened to withdraw support from TPP if Japan and Canada refuse to follow through on pledges to provide comprehensive market access for U.S. dairy products. 
 

 

CWT-Assisted Dairy Export Sales Top 18.7 Million Pounds in June

Posted on by dcadmin

Cooperatives Working Together helped member cooperatives sell 18.7 million pounds of dairy products overseas in June. The voluntary, farmer-funded program will provide assistance on 48 overseas sales from seven different cooperatives: Dairy Farmers of America, Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers Association, Michigan Milk Producers Association, Northwest Dairy Association (Darigold), Tillamook County Creamery Association and Upstate-O-AT-KA. The products included 10.8 million pounds of American-type cheese, 4.1 million pounds of butter, and 3.8 million pounds of whole milk powder. All will be delivered before the end of the year.

June sales bring the year-to-date total to more than 120 million pounds of dairy product export sales assisted by CWT, the equivalent of 1.753 billion pounds of milk on a milkfat basis.

 

New REAL® Seal Video Contrasts Dairy Nutrition versus the Imitators

Posted on by dcadmin

Just in time for summer, the REAL® Seal debuted a beach-motif YouTube video contrasting the nutrition in real dairy products versus with imitations made from vegetables and nuts. DairyUS, the animated version of the REAL® Seal logo, reminds viewers that, unlike the imitators, real dairy products are packed with vitamins, minerals and protein. 

“Look for the REAL® Seal if you want the real deal,” he advises. In July, the REAL® Seal Facebook page is leveraging National Ice Cream Month and asking food bloggers to create recipes around the theme “We all scream for ice cream!”

Immigration Reform Quest Goes On

Posted on by dcadmin
July 1, 2014
To no one’s great surprise, President Obama recently confirmed what has long been suspected here in Washington:  the chances of Congress passing immigration reform legislation in 2014 have gone from slim to none.  Late last month, the President said Speaker John Boehner informed him the House of Representatives will not move forward with the issue this year.

And yet, some continue to acknowledge this inconvenient truth about the pressing need for Washington’s lawmakers to work on immigration: “The current system, to me, is broken.”  This recognition of reality has been expressed by NMPF as an organization for a decade, as well as by many other individuals and groups working on the issue.  However, what makes this quote significant is that it comes from the new House Majority Leader, Rep. Kevin McCarthy.  You’ll recall that McCarthy (who represents the farming-dependent community of Bakersfield, Cal., where he sees the challenge of this issue first-hand) was just elected to replace former Majority Leader Eric Cantor, who lost his primary election in June.
So even though the political momentum doesn’t currently exist to pass a bill in the House, many of the leaders in the House, including the new number-two GOP leader, Rep. McCarthy, continue to acknowledge that this issue needs to be tackled. NMPF, meanwhile, will continue to seek consensus between both parties behind the principles which have always guided us in this process: protecting current workers, establishing a system to attract and retain future workers, and holding harmless farmers who may have employed improperly documented workers.
Right now, it’s not clear what administrative actions could be taken by the President, or more importantly, would be helpful to dairy farmers in the short run.  NMPF’s focus has always been on the long-term implications of farms not having access to future workers, or losing workers that they have employed for many years. We will continue to press our case with the Administration to ensure that, if the President decides to act on this issue, his actions be in the best interest of dairy farmers and agriculture generally.
The current political stalemate creates the type of uncertainty for small businesses that, simply put, is bad for the economy.  Businesses involved in food production, including seasonal produce operations, as well as those with perennial needs for work – such as dairy farms – will still be hard-pressed to find the workers they need, this year or next.   As the unemployment rate gradually recedes, the challenge of finding the type of labor needed on dairy farms is going to grow.
The imbalanced supply and demand situation affecting the agricultural workforce in America is not going to correct itself in the absence of congressional action.  This is why NMPF is going to continue to work with other national farm organizations through the Agriculture Workforce Coalition.  The history of most major public policy controversies is that they take multiple efforts, by a variety of stakeholders working together in common cause, to finally make things happen. It’s not a question of if, but when, it happens.
With the Farm Bill battles in our rear-view mirror, NMPF is devoting even more attention to other major policy issues like immigration reform.  Margin insurance to hedge against catastrophically-low milk prices, and/or high feed costs, is going to be a great tool for farmers.  But the failure to fix our broken immigration system, and thus ensure that farms have an adequate supply of legalized workers, exposes many to the same type of economic vulnerability posed by an inadequate farm-level economic safety net.  Even if the congressional political state of play may have shifted recently on Capitol Hill, the economic reality outside of Washington has not.  Our works goes on.

NMPF Statement on White House Announcement on Impasse over Immigration Reform

Posted on by dcadmin

From Jim Mulhern, President and Chief Executive Officer, NMPF: 

July 1, 2014
 
 
“It is very frustrating for America’s dairy farmers that our elected officials could not set aside partisan politics this year in order to finally address the dysfunctional policy of our immigration system. The irony is that virtually everyone on both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue admits the status quo is unacceptable; yet we seem destined to continue suffering from it, because common-sense reforms remain beyond our reach.
 
In addition to the headaches this dilemma poses to dairy farmers, who still have to deal with workforce challenges, the lack of a legislative fix to our immigration system is bad news for America’s consumers, all of whom are dependent on a domestic food production system that itself is dependent on immigrant workers. 
 
The reality is that most major public policy controversies take multiple efforts, by a variety of stakeholders working together in common cause, to finally make things happen.  Immigration reform will happen. It is only a matter of time. We remain committed to that effort.” 
###
 
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 cooperatives produce the majority of the U.S. milk supply, making NMPF the voice of more than 32,000 dairy producers on Capitol Hill and with government agencies. Visit www.nmpf.org for more information.
 
Posted in Uncategorized

NMPF Asks FDA to Exempt Dairy Farms from Additional Regulation Under Food Safety Modernization Act

Posted on by dcadmin
 
Processed Dairy Products Not High-Risk Foods, According to NMPF
 
ARLINGTON, VA – Efforts to impose added regulations on dairy farms under the new Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) are not warranted because milk leaving farms for further processing is not a significant public health risk from intentional adulteration, the National Milk Producers Federation wrote today in comments to the Food and Drug Administration.
 
The FDA is reviewing comments about the FSMA law, which is the most significant change to food safety legislation in many years.  Part of the scope of FSMA is to enhance the safety protocols around foods that may be subject to intentional adulteration, by terrorists looking to threaten or injure people, or cause economic harm to certain companies or industries.
 
“We disagree with the premise that on-farm milk destined for pasteurization is a high-risk food,” said Beth Briczinski, NMPF’s Vice President of Dairy Foods and Nutrition.  Raw fluid milk for pasteurization moves among various regions of the country and is in constant flux to meet specific processing demands.  Because of the challenge of predicting the precise processing facility and type of product or ingredient to which an individual farm’s milk is ultimately destined, NMPF concluded that “activities on dairy farms should not be addressed through this rule.”  A full copy of NMPF’s comments can be found here.
 
“Dairy farmers currently implement a number of general security strategies to protect the investment of their property, equipment, animals and milk supply, which further reduce any risk that may be represented by on-farm milk destined for pasteurization,” NMPF wrote.  
 
The organization added that if FDA were to require farms to comply with specific aspects of food defense regulations, such requirements should be developed in close collaboration with federal and state stakeholders, as well as the dairy industry, through the National Conference on Interstate Milk Shipments (NCIMS).
 
NMPF also noted that many elements of food defense are already being employed by dairy farms for reasons related to biosecurity.  Because biosecurity measures that help prevent the introduction of infectious and contagious diseases among cattle also help prevent the spread of harmful problems in the milk from those cows, new security measures would only be warranted “when a credible threat of intentional adulteration against the milk supply is identified.”
 
In addition to its perspective on food defense and dairy farms, NMPF also submitted comments today to the FDA with the International Dairy Foods Association, focused on preventing intentional adulteration at dairy processing plants.
 
Those comments also expressed concern with the direction of FDA’s proposal, and asked the agency to “fundamentally reconsider its proposed approach.”  Like dairy farms, dairy processing facilities have worked with FDA to take an active approach in applying food defense concepts to their manufacturing operations, according to the two organizations.
 
IDFA and NMPF proposed that FDA only require basic food defense plans consisting of cost-effective mitigation strategies, allowing facilities to then identify reserved focused mitigation strategies that can be quickly implemented in response to heightened concerns or credible threats, should they be deemed necessary. 
 
The joint comments also emphasized that each processing facility and dairy farm is unique.  If FDA were to require food defense plans, the dairy industry must have the flexibility to address intentional adulteration in ways that are custom-tailored with respect to their individual attributes, rather than prescribing “one-size-fits-all” specific criteria.  
 
###
 
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 cooperatives produce the majority of the U.S. milk supply, making NMPF the voice of more than 32,000 dairy producers on Capitol Hill and with government agencies. Visit www.nmpf.org for more information.
 
Posted in Uncategorized

NMPF Statement on Veto of Connecticut Legislation Banning Chocolate Milk from School Cafeterias

Posted on by dcadmin

The National Milk Producers Federation issued the following statement on Thursday, June 12, from President and CEO Jim Mulhern on Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy’s veto of legislation banning chocolate milk from Connecticut school lunchrooms:

“It’s encouraging to see reason and common sense returning to the debate over chocolate milk in schools. As a recent university study made clear, schools that remove chocolate milk from the cafeteria are simply throwing the nutritional baby out with the bathwater. They deprive kids of calcium, protein and other needed nutrients while they increase waste and boost costs. Certainly, obesity is a serious problem among today’s youth. But the answer isn’t to ban chocolate milk. Connecticut is not required to pass this legislation to keep its federal school meals funding. Federal nutrition standards specifically allow schools to serve fat-free chocolate milk as part of reimbursable meals and in cafeteria a la carte lines. Governor Malloy is to be congratulated for thinking this through, and not opting for the quick, easy but wrong solution.”

##

The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF), 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 cooperatives produce the majority of the U.S. milk supply, making NMPF the voice of more than 32,000 dairy producers on Capitol Hill and with government agencies. For more on NMPF’s activities, visit our website at www.nmpf.org.

 

NMPF Thanks EPA for Allowing More Time to Consider U.S. Waterways Regulation

Posted on by dcadmin
The National Milk Producers Federation today thanked the Environmental Protection Agency for agreeing to allow more time to examine a controversial draft regulation expanding the waterways subject to pollution controls under the federal Clean Water Act.
“Dairy farmers are committed to protecting U.S. waters both voluntarily and under the Clean Water Act,” said NMPF President and CEO Jim Mulhern, “but the EPA needs to go about this effort in the right way. Allowing more time to consider EPA’s draft will give everyone the chance to adequately consider the issues raised in the draft and make it less likely the final regulation will be harmful to dairy farmers.”
NMPF represents dairy farmers producing most of the nation’s milk supply. In a May 30 letter, NMPF asked that the public comment period on EPA’s draft regulation be extended at least 90 days.
NMPF cited two reasons for requesting more time to consider the regulation:  First, the EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers have not completed the report providing the scientific underpinning for the regulation; and second, many of the key concepts discussed in the draft are unclear or subject to interpretation by government regulators.

“For dairy farmers to understand and assess the proposed changes, the science behind them must be clear and conclusive,” Mulhern said. “And yet, the draft relies on the scientific conclusions of an EPA report still under review by the agency’s Science Advisory Board.” Likewise, Mulhern said, many of the terms used in the draft, including terms like ‘‘floodplain’’ and ‘‘tributary,’’ and not well defined. “These terms are as murky at best, and, therefore, will create confusion for dairy producers.
“Given the scope and complexities of the proposed rule and its supporting documents, it was essential that EPA allow more time to consider the issues it raises,” Mulhern said. “NMPF appreciates that the agency has allowed the time needed to clarify these issues.”
EPA extended the comment period on the regulation 90 days, until October 20.
###
The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF), 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 cooperatives produce the majority of the U.S. milk supply, making NMPF the voice of more than 32,000 dairy producers on Capitol Hill and with government agencies. For more on NMPF’s activities, visit our website at www.nmpf.org.

NMPF Board Meets to Review Farm Bill, Animal Care Issues

Posted on by dcadmin

NMPF’s Board of Directors met last week in Arlington, Virginia, for an update on several key issues of interest to dairy farmers and cooperatives, including the progress being made on implementing the new farm bill’s dairy safety net.

During a special dinner to celebrate the passage of the Farm Bill last Tuesday, NMPF President and CEO Jim Mulhern presented a plaque to Sen. Debbie Stabenow of Michigan (pictured at left), who as Chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee proved instrumental in helping shepherd the passage of the bill.
 
Mulhern reported to the board that the organization’s staff continue to interact with USDA officials developing the specific regulations that will govern the new Margin Protection Program established by the 2014 Farm Bill.  NMPF has been anticipating farmer questions and urging USDA to make the program as easy as possible for farmers to understand and use.  Karla Thieman, Senior advisor to USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack, reported to the NMPF Board that the agency is on track to release the rules governing initial program enrollment by the end of the summer.  
 
NMPF is developing an online dashboard calculator that will allow farmers to estimate future margins in order to help them make choices about MPP coverage levels.  That calculator will be available once final program details are known.  NMPF will continue to make available information and tools to help cooperatives explain the new MPP to farmers.
 
In other developments, given the continued interest and focus from customers about dairy farm animal care, the NMPF board discussed two updates to the National Dairy FARM program that will be voted on at its next meeting in October.  
 
The first measure is a resolution for consideration by the board that would require all FARM program participant companies to conduct second party evaluations on their direct-ship farms. All farms would also be included in the pool for third party verification.   The resolution is being shared with NMPF’s members (and other co-ops and processors not represented by NMPF) so that each organization can review the resolution and vote on adopting it in October.  
 
The second measure specifies a protocol to address allegations of willful animal mistreatment on farms enrolled in the program. Willful mistreatment is a violation of existing FARM program guidelines; the new protocol establishes procedures to address such violations.   The focus of this process is to ensure a farm’s practices are consistent with the program’s guidelines – not to exclude the farm from future participation in the FARM program. This new process will help enhance the integrity of the FARM program to customers while helping farms regain full FARM program participant status by implementing the steps identified in the animal care improvement plan. 
 
The Board of Directors also seated a new member representing Cooperative Milk Producers Association, Inc.  Jimmy Kerr joins the board, replacing long-time member Bill Blalock, who has retired from the Board.  Kerr has been on CMPA’s board for more than 20 years, serving as Vice President of the coop for the last six.  He, his son Alex and wife Donna milk 200 registered Holstein on 600 acres in Amelia, Virginia.
 

Young Cooperators Come to DC for Capitol Hill Visits

Posted on by dcadmin

Nearly 60 dairy farmers from dozens of states fanned out on Capitol Hill last week in conjunction with NMPF’s summer board of directors meeting and Young Cooperator grassroots lobbying session.

The dairy producers (including Roxy Helman, Traci Hamstra and Kelly Dugan  (l-r), pictured with Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona) discussed key issues of interest to the dairy setor, including trade policy, GMO food labeling standards, and the need for immigration reform.

NMPF to FDA: Instead of Issuing New Labeling Regs, Enforce Those on Dairy Imposters

Posted on by dcadmin
In a May 5 letter, NMPF questioned why the FDA is focused on clarifying the use of terms like “dried cane syrup” or “evaporated cane juice” at the same time it allows soy, rice, nut, and hemp products to repeatedly define themselves as milk in violation of FDA’s own long-standing food standards.
 
“It seems rather disingenuous for the Agency to utilize its often-referenced ‘limited resources’ to issue additional labeling guidance, while simultaneously not enforcing existing regulations pertaining to the identity of foods” like imitation dairy products, NMPF wrote. “The Agency has blatantly disregarded the names displayed on the labels of imitation dairy products (e.g., ‘soy milk’, ‘rice yogurt’, etc.) in the current marketplace.  
 
“While the FDA has made its position clear through warning letters to several manufacturers … these actions have been too infrequent to be effective, essentially creating a labeling landscape free of enforcement,” NMPF said.  
 
The letter was the latest in a long series of NMPF attempts to get the FDA to enforce requirements for the labeling of these imposters, many of which are not nutritionally equivalent to real dairy products.  
 
“Manufacturers of these imitation products have misled American consumers for far too long – making a mockery of current labeling regulations – by usurping the ‘dairy halo’ associated with wholesome and nutritious milk and dairy products,” the letter said.