Author: Theresa Sweeney

NMPF Applauds Senate Reconciliation Dairy Provisions, Urges Congress Toward Final Action

Posted on by Theresa Sweeney

The National Milk Producers Federation, the largest U.S. dairy-farmer organization, commended the U.S. Senate for the bill’s dairy and agriculture provisions, which will create greater financial certainty for producers. NMPF is hopeful that the House will take up the bill and get it to the president’s desk quickly.

“Dairy farmers are grateful for legislation that will create several key opportunities for dairy,” said Gregg Doud, NMPF president and CEO in a statement. “Following last month’s successful vote in the House, we are excited that the Senate’s legislation also positions these investments to benefit dairy farmers and the cooperatives they own. We hope they are enacted into law as swiftly as possible.”

Congress is attempting to pass the measure prior to the July 4 Congressional recess.

The Senate Agriculture Committee’s portion of the bill includes numerous NMPF-backed requests that would strengthen dairy and farm policy, including:

  • Renewing the Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) program through 2031; updating DMC’s production history calculation to be based on the highest production year of 2021, 2022, or 2023; and extending the ability for producers to receive a 25% premium discount for locking in their coverage for the duration of the bill;
  • Providing mandatory funding for USDA to conduct mandatory dairy processing cost surveys every two years to provide better data to inform future make allowance conversations;
  • Folding remaining Inflation Reduction Act conservation dollars into the farm bill baseline, resulting in increased long-term funding for popular, oversubscribed programs like the Environmental Quality Incentives Program;
  • Providing new trade promotion funding based on current programs that return well over $20 in export revenue for every dollar invested in the programs; and
  • Increasing funding for animal health programs that help to prevent, control, and eradicate animal diseases, such as the outbreak of H5N1 in dairy cattle.

The Senate Finance Committee’s portion of the bill, released on June 16, makes permanent the Section 199A tax deduction, enabling dairy farmer-owned cooperatives to continue either passing the deduction back to their farmer owners or reinvesting it in their cooperatives.

NMPF is grateful to House and Senate committee leaders, including Agriculture Committee Chairmen GT Thompson, R-PA, and John Boozman, R-AR and tax-writing committee chairs Rep. Jason Smith, R-MO, and Sen. Mike Crapo, R-ID, and other members who have authored these provisions in the bill moving toward President Trump’s desk.

NMPF Supports Senate Ag Committee Farm Policy Investments

Posted on by Theresa Sweeney

The National Milk Producers Federation today commended the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee for including important resources in their budget reconciliation proposal that would boost rural economies and support unmet needs.

“Dairy farmers are grateful to Chairman John Boozman and his committee for putting forward legislation that will create several key opportunities for dairy,” said Gregg Doud, president and CEO of NMPF. “Following last month’s successful vote in the House, we are excited that this legislation positions these investments strongly in the Senate to benefit dairy farmers and the cooperatives they own.”

The Senate reconciliation proposal released yesterday would fund the Dairy Margin Coverage program through 2031, provide resources for mandatory USDA dairy manufacturing cost surveys every two years, and offer long-term support for critical trade promotion, conservation, research, and animal health programs.

NMPF Farmers Advocate for Dairy, Approve Trade Initiative at Board Meeting

Posted on by Theresa Sweeney

Dairy farmers from across the nation approved a new initiative to boost dairy exports and welcomed a new cooperative member as well as new farmer-leaders at the National Milk Producers Federation’s Board of Directors meeting, which concluded today.

“If you imagine that on top of that the millions of people who buy something we touch every day with the products, the nutritious products that we produce, not just at dinner, not just at breakfast, but all day long, because of what you can turn dairy into, it’s a pretty amazing story, really,” said NMPF Board Chairman Randy Mooney, a farmer from Rogersville, MO, in remarks at the meeting. “We put some of the most nourishing products there are into consumers every day, globally, and that’s something that I think we can all be proud of.”

NMPF’s board meeting brought together more than 100 farmers and dairy-cooperative leaders at the nation’s largest dairy farmer trade organization, which serves as the policy voice for milk producers and the cooperatives they own in Washington.

The meeting was held in conjunction with NMPF’s annual fly-in of its Young Cooperators, who met with members of Congress to discuss pressing dairy concerns and received a U.S. Capitol tour from Rep. Adam Gray, D-CA; it also featured remarks from Reps. Dusty Johnson, R-SD, David Valadao, R-CA, and Tony Wied, R-WI.

The board voted to implement a new member-funded export assistance program called NEXT, starting July 1.  A majority of the milk supplied to consumers worldwide by NMPF members is supporting the NEXT program with a 2 cent/cwt contribution through 2028. The NEXT program will focus on supporting U.S. dairy exports in key markets around the world, including Latin America, the Caribbean and Asia.

The board also welcomed two new directors and one new cooperative member. Joining as new board members are:

  • Corey Gillins, Dairy Farmers of America
  • Tim Kuenzi, Darigold
  • Brenda Dehart, Foremost Farms

NMPF’s newest member, approved today, is Lanco-Pennland Cooperative, based in Hagerstown, MD. Lanco-Pennland produces roughly 400 million pounds of milk annually and is a leading East Coast milk marketer.

The Young Cooperators (YC) Dairy Policy and Legislative Forum brought together young dairy leaders from 15 states for two days of education and advocacy on Capitol Hill, discussing key dairy priorities directly with members of Congress and staffs to advocate for the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act, agricultural labor reform and strong dairy trade policies.

Also in conjunction with the meeting, The National Dairy Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM) Program opened nominations for its annual FARM Excellence Awards, which recognizes farmers, cooperatives and processors that provide consumers with safe, wholesome milk with integrity. Nominations may be submitted via an online form by Aug. 4.

Kinler Joins NMPF as Senior Director of Board, State and Member Relations

Posted on by Theresa Sweeney

Casey Kinler this week is joining NMPF as its new Senior Director of Board, State and Member Relations for NMPF. In this role, she leads efforts to build and strengthen relationships with our members, sponsors, and state affiliates. This includes supporting the planning and execution of NMPF’s annual meeting and board meetings.

Casey brings a decade of experience in member engagement. Before joining NMPF, she served as Director of Membership Experience at the American Composites Manufacturers Association, where she led initiatives in member retention, onboarding, and engagement. Previously, she held the role of Director of Membership and Marketing at the Animal Agriculture Alliance, where she managed sponsorship outreach, member recruitment and coordinated its annual event.

Casey holds a master’s degree in communications from George Mason University and a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Communications from Auburn University.

U.S. Dairy Strengthens Mexican Ties

Posted on by Theresa Sweeney

NMPF and the U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC) strengthened its ties with the Mexican dairy industry at the seventh annual U.S.-Mexico joint summit, held May 27–29 in Madison, WI.

U.S. producer, processing and promotion leaders throughout the dairy supply chain, including representatives from Dairy Management, Inc., Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin and the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association joined Mexican representatives including members of the National Confederation of Livestock Organizations (CNOG), Mexican Association of Milk Producers (AMLAC), National Chamber of Dairy Manufacturers (CANILEC), and National Agricultural Council (CNA).

This year’s gathering took on added importance amid an uncertain trade landscape and growing animal health concerns, including H1N1 and New World screwworm. NMPF and USDEC reaffirmed their commitment to the partnership and agreed with their Mexican counterparts on key policy areas to prioritize. These include the preservation and improvement of trade relations (including the avoidance of tariffs and/or new barriers to bilateral trade), the active defense of common food names, and the commitment to grow dairy consumption in both countries.

The event culminated in a renewed joint statement reaffirming the two industries’ commitment to working together to address shared challenges and raise the profile of dairy in both markets.

The regular meetings have reinforced the partnership between the U.S. and Mexican dairy industries since a memorandum of understanding was established in 2005. Leading U.S. and Mexican dairy organizations have used these discussions to enhance industry collaboration and strengthen dairy production in North America.

Mexico remains the top export destination for U.S. dairy products, accounting for 30% of exports by value last year. The binational meeting strengthens collaboration with one of the industry’s most critical global partners.

DMC Margin Drops $1.13/cwt in April, Mostly on Lower Milk Price

Posted on by Theresa Sweeney

The monthly DMC margin fell $1.13 cwt in April to $10.42/cwt of milk on a lower all-milk price.

The DMC feed cost calculation rose $0.13/cwt of milk from March to April, mostly on a higher premium alfalfa hay price, as smaller corn and soybean meal price changes were nearly offsetting on a milk equivalent basis. The all-milk price was down $1/cwt to $21/cwt.

The DMC Decision Tool on the USDA Farm Service Agency website projects the April margin as the lowest for 2025. It shows monthly margins rising steadily from there to top out at $13.92/cwt in November.

NMPF Prompts U.S. Investigation into Global Nonfat Milk Solids

Posted on by Theresa Sweeney

The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) announced an investigation on May 20 into global nonfat milk solids competitiveness for the United States and other major suppliers, including Canada, after extensive NMPF and U.S. Dairy Export Council advocacy for a probe.

The announcement followed an April 23 letter from the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) requesting a formal Section 332 investigation into global suppliers’ pricing and trade practices for products with high levels of nonfat milk solids, including casein, caseinates, lactose, skim milk powder, and milk protein concentrates and isolates.

NMPF and USDEC have been closely monitoring a notable spike in certain nonfat milk solid exports from Canada following 2020 implementation of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). USMCA included rules on Canadian exports of skim milk powder, milk protein concentrates and infant formula that imposed higher penalty rates on exports that exceed a volume threshold. USMCA introduced these measures to curb Canada’s propensity to offload excess nonfat milk solids onto global markets at artificially low prices.

However, data shared by NMPF with USTR suggest Canada has sidestepped these obligations by shifting dairy protein production and exports to other product categories that evade the USMCA export disciplines. In meetings and written communications to both the current administration and the previous one, NMPF has urged USTR to address this behavior, which harms American dairy producers both domestically and abroad.

ITC’s 11-month investigation will evaluate Canadian and other global suppliers’ nonfat milk solids competitiveness to determine if any pricing or trade practices violate international trade rules. NMPF and USDEC will actively support the investigation and continue to insist on changes in Canada’s actions.

FARM ES Supports Farmers, Releases Version 3 Prep Guide

Posted on by Theresa Sweeney

The National Dairy Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM) Program released its FARM Environmental Stewardship Version 3 Prep Guide, helping to prepare farmers and evaluators for on-farm evaluations using the updated platform.

The Prep Guide outlines Version 3 data collection, tips for completing the evaluation and program expectations. FARM encourages farmers and evaluators to use this document when preparing for an evaluation.

Training on Version 3 topic areas are ongoing. The optional advanced manure-module training session held May 28 provided an in-depth overview of how manure management can influence ES Version 3 results.

Each of the optional, advanced training sessions is designed for evaluators who wish to better understand the data inputs, environmental footprint results, and how to run scenarios to support farmers who wish to explore continuous improvement opportunities.

MAHA Report Criticizes U.S. Food System, Cites Whole Milk’s Benefits

Posted on by Theresa Sweeney

A White House commission’s report on food and public health released last week outlined numerous criticisms of the U.S. food system, alarming some segments of agriculture as dairy considered its implications.

The report from the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) commission defended the importance of nutrient-dense “real” foods and specified whole milk for its benefits. “Whole milk and other dairy products are rich sources of calcium vitamin and bioactive fatty acids which support bone health help regulate inflammation and may reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes,” the report said.

The commission, chaired by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.; Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, released the report May 22.

As expected, the Kennedy-led report noted that American children are often unhealthy, which the commission attributed to ultra processed food, exposure to chemicals, lack of exercise, stress and overprescription of pharmaceuticals. The report criticized corporate influence of food marketing and said industry-funded nutrition research has led to “skewed outcomes” in dietary patterns and even the government’s recommendations in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

The report didn’t single out farm chemicals atrazine and glyphosate as major problems requiring a ban while raising doubts about them by calling for more research into the effects of cumulative exposure to chemicals such as pesticides.

The report said the MAHA Commission will immediately begin developing a strategy to improve child health outcomes, with the report due in August.

FMMO Changes in Effect as of June 1

Posted on by Theresa Sweeney

June 1, World Milk Day and the start of National Dairy Month, also marked the end of a multi-year process NMPF initiated and led, with the official implementation of the Final Rule to update Federal Milk Marketing Order pricing formulas.

As of this month, the “higher-of” Class I price mover for most (non-ESL) milk has been restored; dairy product make allowances and Class I differentials nationwide are updated, and barrel cheese is no longer being used to determine the Class III price. A final part of the Rule, to increase the component composition factors for skim milk in all FMMO price classes, will be implemented Dec. 1 to avoid disrupting existing risk management positions.

NMPF successfully argued for these necessary updates in five specific proposals presented at a record-long FMMO hearing from late summer 2023 to early winter 2024. The arguments all flowed from the fundamental principle that FMMO product price formulas must evolve with the changing structure of the dairy industry to properly fulfil their role of accurately translating dairy product prices into milk values embodied in the orders’ classified prices.

USDA not only validated this principle in the Final Rule – it also established a blueprint that will make it much easier to keep the pricing formulas updated in the future, ensuring the FMMO pricing system will never again get as outdated as it has been prior to next week.

NMPF’s exhaustive efforts began in 2021 and included more than 200 meetings to formulate the proposal among NMPF leaders and experts, along with coalition building across agriculture.

A separate “15A” legal proceeding filed earlier this year against the FMMO system by several organic milk companies that are seeking to exempt organic milk from the system does not affect the implementation.

State Dairy Advocates Strategize at NMPF Summit

Posted on by Theresa Sweeney

Representatives from nearly 20 state dairy organizations met for the 2025 Dairy Association Stakeholder Summit at NMPF’s offices in Arlington, VA. to discuss mutual issues of interest and devise ways to better coordinate with one another and with NMPF on May 7.

This annual summit NMPF organizes brings together leaders from state-level dairy advocacy groups to strategize for a better dairy community future. Issues discussed this year included farm bill policy, labor availability and immigration, trade challenges, nutrition policy, environmental regulations, and the dairy economic outlook.

Dairy farmers may have common goals and policy priorities, but each state has its own legislative and regulatory climate. The Stakeholder Summit allows state representatives to report on what their producers are experiencing, giving NMPF the tools and understanding to better advocate for policy solutions that work for all farmers.

At the same time, federal program implementation nationwide may vary widely by state. For example, the Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) safety net rules are standardized nationwide, but each state has its own Farm Service Agency offices to run the program.

The Stakeholder Summit enables producers to give voice to these issues, positioning NMPF to work with agencies like the USDA to address any inconsistencies in implementing federal programs, DMC, or otherwise.

In addition to the summit, NMPF staff helped coordinate Capitol Hill visits for farmers who participated in the summit.