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Dairy Labor Reform Momentum Builds

Posted on by Rachel Ravencraft

Progress in Washington is often measured in increments, one step at a time. But in the past month, dairy took two steps forward on ag labor: A clarification from the Trump administration regarding H-2A visas as they apply to dairy, followed by House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn “G.T.” Thompson’s introduction of comprehensive agricultural labor reform legislation, the Securing Agriculture’s Workforce Act.

For decades, dairy farmers have operated within a fundamental contradiction: Their labor needs are an everyday of the year constant, yet Congress designed the H‑2A visa program for seasonal agriculture. That mismatch has left dairy farmers effectively shut out of the nation’s primary legal agricultural guestworker system.

The recent clarification from the Department of Homeland Security on H-2A eligibility for dairy, supported by USDA and the Department of Labor, attempts to ease that tension. By directing visa petition adjudicators to consider dairy applications on a case-by-case basis and recognizing legitimate seasonal spikes, such as during calving or feed harvest, it attempts to expand the program’s accessibility for dairy operations. It also corrects a longstanding rigidity in how applications were evaluated, in which year-round production was often treated as automatic disqualification.

The change’s practical effects are limited by the scope of H-2A itself, for which eligibility still hinges on work being temporary or seasonal. For most dairy farms, where labor demand is continuous and predictable, that requirement continues to pose a significant barrier. While some producers could benefit, the clarification is unlikely to fundamentally reshape dairy’s access to a legal workforce. That said, the announcement was still welcome recognition from this administration of dairy’s labor challenges.

Those challenges underscore why Chairman Thompson’s Securing Agriculture’s Workforce Act is so consequential. The bipartisan bill, unveiled June 30, represents the most meaningful step in years toward fixing a broken farm workforce system, offering structural and legal reform dairy has long needed.

At its core, the bill would address the structural flaw that has hampered dairy for decades. By redefining “temporary” work based on the duration of an employment contract, allowing contracts of up to 350 days regardless of whether the work itself is year-round, it would align federal labor policy with modern agriculture’s operational reality. For dairy, that shift is potentially transformative.

Instead of limiting farms to a seasonal framework, Thompson’s proposal would allow them to access H‑2A legally and predictably by structuring employment contracts appropriately. In doing so, it opens the program to operations that have long been excluded, not because they lacked need, but because the law failed to reflect how they operate.

The bill goes further. It seeks to streamline the application process, reduce administrative burdens, and address cost concerns that have deterred employers from using H‑2A even when eligible. These aren’t incremental adjustments; they are reforms designed to be inclusive of vital labor needs on the dairy farm.

Perhaps the most important provision of the bill for dairy, beyond providing dairy access to an improved H-2A, is the targeted waiver of the bar of admission on past unlawful presence, providing the current dairy workforce a means to transition to a workable, agriculture visa program. While it may face scrutiny from some lawmakers, this provision shows Chairman Thompson’s understands what a major workforce disruption would do to the food supply chain as dairy farms transition to H-2A.

Just as important is the legislation’s broader purpose: to modernize a farm labor framework that’s remained largely unchanged since 1986. For dairy producers, workforce stability is not optional. It underpins animal care, milk quality, and overall farm viability. By creating a more flexible and reliable visa program, Thompson’s bill moves the industry closer to that stability in a way that we’ve not seen in decades.

The administration’s H-2A clarification demonstrates an appreciation that the current visa program does not work for dairy. Chairman Thompson’s legislation takes it further by fixing the underlying structural problems with H-2A. Ultimately, the path to a secure, stable dairy workforce runs through Congress. Meaningful, lasting change requires rewriting existing law. That is precisely what Chairman Thompson’s proposal aims to do.

For dairy farmers navigating tight margins, rising costs, and global competition, seeing that progress is more than policy: It’s the foundation for dairy’s workforce and economic sustainability in the years ahead.

Now the duty falls to the dairy industry and our friends across the agriculture sector to do all we can to see the Strengthening Agriculture’s Workforce Act through. NMPF has prepared a call to action that allows dairy farmers and their advocates to contact their House member and ask for support. That’s a step you can take toward ag-labor reform, building on the two steps taken in Washington in recent weeks.

And there will need to be more. Beyond building strong support from House lawmakers, the Senate will need a companion bill to get legislation to the president’s desk. Many steps lie ahead — but the path is clear. NMPF stands ready to lead the charge, alongside our members and the broader industry, to build the momentum needed for success.

 

Gregg Doud

President & CEO, NMPF

 

NMPF and USDEC Statement on the First USMCA Joint Review

Posted on by Rachel Ravencraft

From NMPF and USDEC Executive Vice President Shawna Morris:

“As the United States, Mexico, and Canada launch the first Joint Review of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), we commend the ongoing efforts to resolve outstanding issues and work toward a renewal of this vital agreement. Getting USMCA right matters enormously to our industry, which ships more than 40 percent of all U.S. dairy exports by value to Mexico and Canada.

“Mexico is our most important trading partner, and our dairy industries are deeply integrated. It is critical that a renewed USMCA fully protect the free trade of common name products, particularly against any EU-imposed geographical indication restrictions. Protecting the ability of both U.S. and Mexican producers to use common names is essential to preserving the integrated market we’ve built together.

“On the Canada side, USMCA was designed to deliver two key reforms: targeted new tariff-rate quotas and real disciplines on Canada’s ability to distort global dairy markets through unlimited exports of artificially underpriced dairy proteins. Canada has flagrantly disregarded both commitments, underscoring exactly why this Review is such an important tool. A renewed agreement must fix what isn’t working.

“We strongly support the U.S. government’s efforts to address these challenges and urge focused, intensive work by our trading partners to resolve them. A stronger, durable, renewed USMCA is key to the long-term prosperity of dairy producers and exporters across North America.”

NMPF Praises Securing Agriculture’s Workforce Act

Posted on by Rachel Ravencraft

From NMPF President & CEO Gregg Doud:  

“The Securing Agriculture’s Workforce Act represents the most significant reform to the ag workforce we’ve seen in decades. It is particularly critical for dairy farmers, who have been effectively shut out of the nation’s primary legal agricultural guestworker program.  

“First and foremost, this bill finally grants dairy access to H-2A by removing the seasonal requirements of the program and allowing contracts up to 350 days of the year. The bill goes further, streamlining the application process, reducing administrative burdens, and addressing cost concerns that have deterred employers from using H-2A even when eligible.   

“Perhaps the most important provision of the bill for dairy beyond providing access, is the targeted mechanism to provide the current dairy workforce a means to transition to a workable visa program. This will ensure that we don’t face a major workforce disruption as dairy farms transition to H-2A – and that’s critical, because workforce stability underpins animal care, milk quality, and overall farm viability.  

“I applaud Chairman Thompson and the other original co-sponsors for introducing this bill. Chairman Thompson, thank you for leading the way, as you so often have to the most important issues facing agriculture. NMPF will rally its advocates across dairy and all of agriculture to support this bill, and it stands ready to help build momentum in the House, secure a Senate companion bill, and ultimately get this legislation to the president’s desk.”   

NMPF Statement on Senate Farm Bill Proposal

Posted on by Rachel Ravencraft

From NMPF President & CEO Gregg Doud:

“NMPF thanks Chairman Boozman, Senate Agriculture Committee members, and their staffs for working to put together a farm bill that will bring greater certainty to producers. Dairy farmers look forward to working with senators to get this legislation passed and into conference with the already passed House bill, where lawmakers can craft the best legislation possible.”

 

Some key dairy highlights of the bill include:

  • Authorizing mandatory cost and yield surveys to ensure future changes to the Federal Milk Marketing Orders reflect the most current market conditions, building off funding in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA);
  • Extending the Dairy Indemnity Program and the Dairy Promotion and Research Program and making permanent the Dairy Forward Pricing Program;
  • Supporting voluntary, producer-led conservation programs, such as the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), with a continued designation of conservation funds for livestock producers;
  • Streamlining the process for conservation Technical Service Provider certification to ensure producers have access to qualified individuals to help fill the gaps in needed technical assistance;
  • Establishing a long-term policy directive for the U.S. government to proactively negotiate protections for common cheese names like “parmesan” and “feta,” as championed by NMPF;
  • Reassigning export promotion funding initially included in the OBBBA into existing Farm Bill programs like the Market Access Program to make it easier to use by USDA’s international promotion partners, including the U.S. Dairy Export Council;
  • Establishing the Dairy Nutrition Incentive Program and allowing additional milk, yogurt, and cheese products to be eligible;
  • Expanding the REAP Program to include farmer-owned cooperatives;
  • Modernizing FDA’s regulatory framework for approving animal feed ingredients to put American farmers on a level playing field with the rest of the world on innovative technologies in the feed industry;
  • Expanding opportunities for animal health programs to receive additional funding through annual appropriations;
  • Clarifying that whole milk may be served in the school breakfast program;
  • Increasing the authorization of funding for Dairy Business Innovation Initiatives that support the development, production, marketing and distribution of dairy products;
  • Expanding economic opportunities for farmers to partner with local food distribution organizations to provide fresh, locally grown foods, including milk and other dairy products, to eligible community institutions; and
  • Making improvements to the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network and increasing funding through annual appropriations.

 

NMPF Statement on Trump Administration Plan to Improve Dairy H-2A Access

Posted on by Rachel Ravencraft

From NMPF President & CEO Gregg Doud:

“Dairy farmers appreciate the new clarification released by the Trump administration outlining how dairy operations may use the H-2A agricultural worker program. The dairy industry has long sought access to the H-2A program, and this guidance will help open the door for dairies to begin using this program. We applaud secretaries Rollins and Mullin and acting Secretary Sonderling for their proactive leadership on this issue and look forward to learning more about these important new changes.

“NMPF pledges to work with both Congress and the administration to secure long-term certainty for the dairy workforce, including solutions to transition to H-2A, which will ensure that dairies across the nation are set up to thrive, boosting rural communities and providing Americans and the world with high-quality, nutritious products.”

Product warning labels: a global fight for dairy

Posted on by Rachel Ravencraft

Tony Rice HeadshotBy Tony Rice, Senior Director, Trade Policy, and Miquela Hanselman, MPH, Senior Director, Regulatory Affairs

Walk down a grocery aisle in some countries and you might see large black stop signs or ominous-looking warning symbols on food packages. These are called front-of-package labels (FOPL), and they’re a simplistic way to flag products that contain high levels of added sugar, sodium, or saturated fats. While the intent here is to spur healthier eating, in practice these labels often result in treating a can of diet soda as a health product while covering a carton of whole or chocolate milk in caution labels.

When a public health policy discourages consumption of nutritious foods, it’s clearly not working the way it should. That’s a serious problem for consumers and dairy farmers everywhere. It impacts the size of the total dairy demand pie in these markets, putting U.S. export opportunities at risk in the process.

That’s why the National Milk Producers Federation and the U.S. Dairy Export Council are working hard to make sure dairy isn’t unfairly stamped with labels that discourage consumption and ignore dairy’s well-established nutritional benefits.

 

The fight in Latin America

Three of the most active regulatory battlegrounds right now are in Latin America.

In Chile, a market worth $100 million in U.S. dairy exports last year, a FOPL requirement was rolled out in 2019. As part of that requirement, milk, yogurt, and cheese that exceed the government’s thresholds for calories, saturated fats, sugars, and sodium must include a prominent warning label. NMPF and USDEC have been partnering with the Chilean Federation of Milk Producers to pursue dairy-specific exemptions and align this labeling scheme with the Chilean government’s dietary guidelines, which recognize dairy’s health benefits.

In Colombia, a market worth $183 million in U.S. dairy exports last year, the stakes are equally high. Regulators there are weighing a draft labeling proposal that threatens to label most dairy products as “ultra-processed” simply because production of these nutritious products requires certain processing steps or functional additives. NMPF and USDEC submitted formal comments to Colombia last month, and are working with allied Colombian dairy partners to advocate for exempting nutrient-dense dairy foods from any FOPL requirements.

Meanwhile, in Mexico, we’ve spent the past six years working hand in hand with dairy partners in that $2.6 billion dairy export market to steer Mexico’s FOPL regulation in a more workable direction, and stave off a misguided final stage that could have barred the use of many dairy products in publicly-funded facilities like schools and hospitals.

Educating decision-makers

Policy change doesn’t happen overnight, and it often depends on whether the people making decisions truly understand the science. That’s why USDEC, with the support of the National Dairy Council and NMPF, organized the NutriLact Congress 2026, a dairy nutrition congress held this past February in Lima, Peru, for more than 300 scientists, health officials, policymakers, and other attendees from 17 countries across Latin America. The event highlighted to policymakers, and the health practitioner organizations they work with, the unique ability of dairy products to address nutrient shortfalls across every stage of life, from pregnancy and early childhood through healthy aging.

The bottom line for dairy farmers

A warning label on cheese or milk overseas might seem like a distant problem, but it has real consequences for demand, exports, and the long-term reputation of dairy. NMPF and USDEC are on the front lines working to make sure that American dairy products don’t get misrepresented by a black stop sign. Through partnerships with like-minded organizations in the region and educational initiatives like NutriLact, the industry is building the relationships it needs to win this fight over the long haul.

 

This column originally appeared in Hoard’s Dairyman Intel on June 15, 2026.

Dairy Farmers Urge Action on Labor, Other Issues at Congressional Fly-in

Posted on by Jessi-Ryah Cordova

More than 80 NMPF board members and young dairy farmers met with about 100 congressional offices today in the organization’s annual fly-in, advocating on behalf of dairy on issues ranging from agricultural labor to the recent return of New World screwworm to the United States.

The fly-in came after NMPF’s June board meeting on Tuesday, which was highlighted by remarks from Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Stephen Vaden and Ambassador Julie Callahan providing perspective on the agriculture economy and trade landscape.

“We know what we need to do,” said NMPF President & CEO Gregg Doud in remarks before the fly-in. “We will push in every way we can to make things happen.”

Other action items NMPF members called for in their meeting included:

  • Passing a farm bill through the full Congress in 2026
  • Maintaining access to all types of milk in school meal programs
  • Passing the DAIRY PRIDE Act ensuring integrity in milk labeling
  • Urging lawmakers to tell the administration to strengthen dairy provisions while renewing the USMCA trade agreement.

NMPF also welcomed a new board member, Ted Vander Schaaf of Northwest Dairy Association/Darigold, and a new associate member, Illinois Farm Bureau.

The fly-in was organized by NMPF’s Young Cooperators program. The organization also held committee meetings as well as a workshop on Artificial Intelligence for co-op executives. NMPF leadership continues its meetings this week, discussing animal health and well-being along with other important industry topics.

Dairy Industry Leader Testifies before Congress on USMCA Dairy Priorities

Posted on by Rachel Ravencraft

Michael Lichte, Chief Insights and Optimization Officer for Dairy Farmers of America (DFA), testified today before the House Committee on Agriculture on the importance of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) to U.S. dairy and the need for strengthening dairy implementation and enforcement during the agreement’s forthcoming joint review. Lichte served as a witness representing the National Milk Producers Federation as a board member and the U.S. Dairy Export Council as a director.

“Export demand now accounts for 17% of total U.S. milk production and has become one of the primary drivers of incremental growth across the dairy sector,” Lichte said. “For DFA and the U.S. dairy industry broadly, USMCA remains one of the most consequential trade agreements affecting long-term competitiveness, manufacturing investment, and farm-level economic stability. That’s why it’s essential that we strengthen and renew it.”

Mexico and Canada together account for more than 40% of all U.S. dairy exports by value. Lichte’s testimony focused on Canada’s administration of its dairy tariff-rate quotas in a manner that limits trade and its circumvention of USMCA export disciplines for dairy proteins, while also highlighting the importance of preserving U.S. exporters’ ability to use common cheese names like “feta” in Mexico.

On Canada, Lichte documented chronic underfill of negotiated dairy tariff-rate quotas, with cumulative fill rates reaching only 64% for industrial-use cheese, 34% for fluid milk, and just 7% for skim milk powder through 2025. He also detailed Canada’s growing use of alternative tariff classifications to move surplus dairy proteins into U.S. and global markets in ways that evade USMCA’s dairy protein export caps, a practice confirmed by a May 2026 U.S. International Trade Commission report.

“The underlying market distortions USMCA sought to discipline continue to affect U.S. manufacturers and global dairy protein markets,” Lichte added. “With appropriate enforcement and modernization, USMCA can continue supporting investment, export growth, and economic opportunity for the United States’ dairy farmers and processors for generations to come.”

A link to the written testimony can be found here.

NMPF Awards 2026 National Dairy Leadership Scholarship Winners

Posted on by Jessi-Ryah Cordova

The National Milk Producers Federation Board of Directors selected five graduate students, conducting research that benefits dairy cooperatives and producers, to receive scholarships as part of the 2026 NMPF National Dairy Leadership Scholarship Program. Scholarship recipients include:

Pari Baker, is a doctoral candidate at Case Western Reserve University in the Department of Microbiology & Molecular Biology, Molecular Virology Program. Her research analyzes the host determinants of susceptibility to highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza virus in mammary epithelial cells.

Haowen Hu, is a doctoral candidate studying Animal Science at Cornell University. His research explores the advancement of whole-farm environmental modeling in U.S. dairy systems through model evaluation and field-based refinement.

Gabriela Alejandra Macay Hernandez, a doctoral candidate studying Animal Science at University of Florida. Her research focuses on unraveling the effects of semen components on endometrial and oviductal responses and their impact on embryo development, fetal development, and postnatal offspring performance.

Vaishali Poswal, is a doctoral candidate studying Dairy Manufacturing at South Dakota State University. Her research focuses on environmental listeria persistence and biofilm formation in dairy microbial communities, as well as development of an antimicrobial peptide bio-sanitizer for enhanced control.

Jayden Scott, is a master’s student studying Food Science at Washington State University. His research explores the correlation of the microbiome, proteolysis and flavor development in white cheddar cheese varieties.

“Congratulations to each recipient of this year’s NMPF scholarships,” said NMPF President & CEO Gregg Doud. “The dairy industry continues to reinvest in its future, securing academic research and development that is critical to advancing dairy’s mission. We are proud to support these dairy leaders in their educational pursuits.”

The recipients were confirmed as part of NMPF’s Board of Directors meeting held in Arlington, VA, on June 9. To learn more about and contribute to the NMPF National Dairy Leadership Scholarship program, please visit the scholarship website.