As Congress attempted to navigate the national response to COVID-19 by passing three coronavirus response packages in March, all of which became law, NMPF’s government affairs team worked to ensure dairy-farmer needs were top of mind in agriculture-related provisions of the new laws, gaining success on several fronts.

A crucial advance came with the March 27 passage of a massive, $2 trillion stimulus bill approved on March 27 that creates a $9.5 billion coronavirus agricultural disaster fund that specifically includes dairy among the producers targeted for aid. The bill also provides $14 billion in additional funding for the Commodity Credit Corporation that USDA can use to assist producers in various ways. Finally, the measure aids small businesses, a key link in the entire dairy supply chain.

“We are very grateful that Congress understands the significant economic challenges our farmers face and is rising to that challenge on a bipartisan basis,” Jim Mulhern, president and CEO of NMPF, said of the package, the third – but not the last – congressional coronavirus bill. “Dairy farmers have worked 24/7 to produce safe, affordable, and nutritious products for families throughout the coronavirus crisis, even as their own economic outlook grows darker.”

The specific attention to dairy – thanks in large part to the bipartisan attention from lawmakers ranging from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, to Senate Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Debbie Stabenow, to House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson and Representative Glenn “GT” Thompson – was encouraged and aided by the work of NMPF government relations staffers Paul Bleiberg and Claudia Larson, who coordinated with other NMPF staff and across the dairy community to work with lawmakers on dairy’s behalf.

With Washington policymakers working around the clock, many from home, “it’s kind of like, what day is a weekend, what day is a weekday. But we’ve been having many conversations on Capitol Hill, on the House side, on the Senate side, folks in USDA,” said Bleiberg, NMPF’s vice president for government relations, in an NMPF podcast. “And of course, with our own membership, because everybody is worried about the situation, everybody wants to know what’s going to happen here because people have to get answers.”

Beyond the main stimulus bill, the second coronavirus package that passed Congress included additional funding and flexibility for nutrition programs — specifically, an additional $1.2 billion for nutrition programs. It also allows states and USDA to waive administrative requirements for SNAP and WIC as well as group-setting meal requirements for school meal and adult and childcare meal programs. The first aid plan was relatively smaller and did not address agriculture.

The NMPF government affairs team continues to work closely with both chambers of Congress and USDA, encouraging additional actions that help ensure dairy producers and workers continue to feed Americans without interruption and that families facing food insecurity have access to nutritious food, including the healthy milk many have access to most readily through nutrition programs. It’s also closely coordinating with government affairs staff from other cooperatives and dairy organizations and actively seeking feedback and ideas from members, including by leading a conference call with NMPF communications staff that included cooperative government relations and communications representatives.

NMPF will continue its multi-front approach to best address dairy’s needs and looks forward to working with Congress and the Trump Administration on additional responses anticipated in coming weeks.

Chris Galen, senior vice president for membership services and strategic initiatives at the National Milk Producers Federation, says dairy farmers need effective policy advocacy in Washington as the economic effects of coronavirus are dealt with for months, in both anticipated and unanticipated ways.

“This is a really challenging time because the COVID-19 outbreak is affecting every single aspect of our society,” Galen said in a podcast today. “In dairy, we saw prices finally begin to rise at the end of last year after a prolonged trough. There’s a lot of economic stress on the farm, and then this seems like it’s adding insult to injury.

“It’s doubly important that we advocate for the economic interests of our members because the typical dairy farmer, he’s really, she’s really at the end of their rope at the end of the last few years. And now we have to deal with the great unknown of how long the recession that’s caused by the virus is going to continue.”

To listen to the full podcast, click here. You can also find the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify,  SoundCloud and Google Play. Broadcast outlets may use the MP3 file. Please attribute information to NMPF.

The National Milk Producers Federation’s coronavirus webpage has added key guidance documents for agricultural employers in the wake of recent legislation and also expanded its Spanish-language resources to meet member needs as farmer economic and workforce situations rapidly evolve.

Under “Guidance for Employers,” the site includes materials from the Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the Small Business Administration and others that will help agricultural employers navigate complex workforce matters. Meanwhile, documents important to both employers and employees, including NMPF’s Dairy Farmer Handbook on Coronavirus Prevention and Management, are being made available in Spanish, ensuring that essential information is available across all facets of dairy production.

“Dairy farms are built on high-quality workforces that are responding to the nation’s need for dairy products 24 hours a day, seven days a week at an extremely challenging time. We know that employers have questions, and we are doing our best to help address them,” said Jim Mulhern, president and CEO of the National Milk Producers Federation, the largest U.S. dairy-farmer group. “We also know that many U.S. dairies and their supply chains are built on the labor of hard-working, highly skilled Spanish-speaking workers. The resources we are making available make certain that everyone throughout dairy is better-equipped to manage this crisis.”

NMPF’s increased efforts in workforce guidance predate coronavirus, through the National Dairy Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM) Program’s Workforce Development initiative. More on that program may be found here.

In response to President Donald Trump’s signing of the CARES Act addressing the coronavirus crisis, National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) President and CEO Jim Mulhern offered the following statement:

“We thank President Trump for quickly signing this measure into law. It will provide much-needed help to dairy producers, who are experiencing steep drops in milk and dairy-product prices due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“With the CARES Act now law, we look forward to working with Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue on several important initiatives, including the need for a significant purchase of multiple dairy products. These efforts will be important to address sales lost because of COVID-19, lift farm milk prices and send a critical signal to disrupted dairy markets. Government dairy-product purchases will provide our food banks with an important, nutritious and popular staple item that will help feed families in need.”

In response to the House of Representatives approving the Senate’s sweeping response to the coronavirus crisis, National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) President and CEO Jim Mulhern offered the following statement:

“Congress’s forceful, bipartisan action to take unprecedented steps to combat the economic fallout of the coronavirus crisis is a balm to dairy producers who have endured brutal weeks and may do so in the weeks ahead. We again thank all members who worked hard to produce this bipartisan response package.

“We have no doubt the president, whose support was essential to making this assistance become law, will sign it as soon as possible. When he does, dairy will be applauding with the rest of the country at the powerful support shown for agriculture and the American people. And NMPF will be eager to assist in its implementation to ensure that dairy farmers receive needed relief from the ongoing market disruption.”

NMPF Chief Economist Peter Vitaliano discusses the challenges dairy farmers will face as supply chains adjust to coronavirus-related disruptions in an interview for a television news package on dairy that RFD-TV is producing to air next week. RFD provided NMPF with the full interview, in which Vitaliano explains how sold-out dairy cases and lower milk prices can exist at the same time and how various federal assistance proposals could work economically. Listen now here.

A massive coronavirus aid package poised to pass Congress that includes crucial assistance to dairy producers is a critical, but likely not the last, step in assisting sectors hard-hit by economic disruptions, said Paul Bleiberg, NMPF’s vice president for government relations, in an NMPF podcast.

“There are absolutely going to be further legislative efforts,” Bleiberg said. “Congress may take a recess for a couple of weeks, maybe around the Easter recess, and it may be a little bit longer than it normally is, but I think that work behind the scenes is going to continue.”

Bleiberg breaks down how provisions in the aid package will benefit dairy producers, as well as other federal efforts to assist the entire dairy supply chain, in the full podcast here. You can also find the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify,  SoundCloud and Google Play. Broadcast outlets may use the MP3 file. Please attribute information to NMPF.

The National Milk Producers Federation commended members of Congress for successfully crafting a bipartisan package to provide support and relief during the coronavirus pandemic to all Americans, including dairy and other agricultural producers who are working night and day to provide a steady, safe supply of food to consumers nationwide.

“Dairy farmers have worked 24/7 to produce safe, affordable, and nutritious products for families throughout the coronavirus crisis, even as their own economic outlook grows darker,” said Jim Mulhern, President and CEO of NMPF, the largest organization of U.S. dairy farmers. “Forecasts for milk prices have dropped significantly in the past month, with greater declines possible as the COVID-19 outbreak continues. We are very grateful that Congress understands the significant economic challenges our farmers face and is rising to that challenge on a bipartisan basis.”

Congress is expected to pass quickly the Senate’s coronavirus relief package, released today. The measure creates a $9.5 billion coronavirus agricultural disaster fund that specifically includes livestock and dairy producers, as well as critical assistance to small businesses that are a key link in the entire dairy supply chain. This essential funding will boost finances – and morale – at a crucial time, given the likelihood of widespread economic damage that may affect consumer demand and international trade. The bill also provides $14 billion in additional funding for the Commodity Credit Corporation that USDA can use to assist producers.

“We commend the bipartisan Senate negotiations that produced this outcome. We especially wish to thank Senators Chuck Schumer and Debbie Stabenow for ensuring that dairy farmers will receive significant support,” Mulhern said. “Their work greatly improved this bill. We look forward to its passage.”

NMPF is also grateful to House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson for putting forward multiple dairy provisions in the House of Representatives that will be helpful as the coronavirus-driven economic situation evolves, and to Rep. Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson for his ongoing advocacy and work during this challenging process.

NMPF also commended Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue for his Department’s proactive, ongoing work to help agriculture manage the impacts of COVID-19. “Secretary Perdue and his team have worked tirelessly to assist dairy and all of agriculture as we deal with the challenges of this pandemic by taking actions across the scope of the agency to provide flexibility and assistance. We are very thankful for their collaboration,” Mulhern said.

NMPF looks forward to working with Congress and the Trump Administration on the additional legislative and administrative responses that are anticipated in upcoming weeks.

Emily Yeiser Stepp, a National Milk Producers Federation vice president and head of the National Dairy Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM) Program, is seeing rapid evolution in the initiative as the dairy industry continues to ensure quality animal care, a commitment to sustainability and best practices in the workplace even as coronavirus disrupts supply chains.

“In agriculture, in our industries, we figure things out. And that is the beauty of being part of this community, is that we will figure out how to do this in the most effective manner that provides those assurances long-term,” Yeiser Stepp said. “We’re all in this together.”

To listen to the full podcast, click here. You can also find the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify,  SoundCloud and Google Play. Broadcast outlets may use the MP3 file. Please attribute information to NMPF.

The National Milk Producers Federation, the largest organization of U.S. dairy farmers, commended the U.S. Department of Agriculture for its timely responses to the coronavirus crisis while outlining what agency actions could best aid dairy farmers as they brace for further public-health and market impacts of coronavirus.

“Over the last five weeks, the [USDA’s] estimate of 2020 milk prices reflect a drop of about $2.85 billion at the farm level,” wrote NMPF President and CEO Jim Mulhern in the letter, sent to Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue this morning. “Further drops are possible as the impact of the covid-19 outbreak spreads. The demand shock experienced by our entire economy is turning what initially looked to dairy farmers like the first decent year in the last five into one of potentially widespread economic devastation.”

Dairy farmers – whose work as part of agriculture has been reaffirmed as critical infrastructure by the Department of Homeland Security – expect to face price declines and unstable demand over the next several months, as joblessness rises, schools remain closed and farm and dairy processing operations face unprecedented logistical challenges.

Congress and the Trump Administration have already helped by approving food purchases and offering flexibility in transportation rules. In its letter NMPF said it looks forward to working with the USDA in program implementation, trade facilitation and other areas, but said additional remedies will be needed, including:

• Additional dairy product purchases, which will help Americans in need during what may be a period of very high demand at food banks;
• Compensation for milk disposal, a real possibility as logistical challenges on the farm and at manufacturing plants may create severe disruptions; and
• Re-opening signup for participation in the Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) program, the main safety net for dairy farmers, especially small and medium-sized producers. DMC participation declined in 2020 because of forecasts for higher prices that have been radically revised in light of coronavirus.

“U.S. dairy farmers and their cooperatives will continue to be careful stewards of the naturally nutritious and wholesome product we harvest around the clock, 365 days a year. Like you, we understand the importance of steady production and steady consumption,” Mulhern said. “We hope to work with you on the priorities outlined above, as well as other issues that may arise as we collectively grapple with the consequences of this unique challenge.”

The National Milk Producers Federation is offering additional resources for the dairy community here.

ARLINGTON, Va. – The National Milk Producers Federation’s coronavirus webpage is expanding further, adding a farmer handbook to address dairy production needs and launching a podcast series featuring experts discussing crucial issues faced by dairy farmers and the broader industry as they work to feed the U.S. and the world.

“Dairy farmers are working hard to provide consumers a safe and abundant supply of milk, and they critically need resources to help them manage in a fast-changing environment. To assist them, we’re working our hardest to keep up with those needs,” said Jim Mulhern, president and CEO of the National Milk Producers Federation. “This covid-19 resource, www.nmpf.org/coronavirus, is a valuable tool both for farmers to manage their operations and for the broader industry and consumer community to understand what’s happening in dairy and respond appropriately.”

The handbook, drafted by members of the National Dairy FARM (Farmers Assuring Responsible Management) program, addresses topics from preventing coronavirus transmission in the workplace to proper workforce management in a pandemic. It’s part of a wide range of resources on the site, which first launched March 6 and since then has continually added content that aids aid the dairy community from farm to consumer as the coronavirus crisis has deepened, including links to key government documents and information for processors.

The podcast series started last week with NMPF staff scientist Jamie Jonker discussing how dairy farms are adding coronavirus-related safety measures. Another interview featured Clay Detlefsen, senior vice president for environmental and regulatory affairs, explaining a private-sector/government collaboration effort he’s leading that’s helping fix supply-chain issues as they arise.

Future podcasts will address animal care, the dairy economy, and dairy’s evolving response to coronavirus, among other topics. You can subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify,  SoundCloud and Google Play.

 

Listen to the latest updates on coronavirus (COVID-19) and its impact on the U.S. dairy industry from NMPF Senior Vice President of Membership Services and Strategic Initiatives Chris Galen on Dairy Radio Now.