In comments to USDA, the National Milk Producers Federation supported efforts to update the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) food packages to reflect current nutrition science. However, NMPF disagreed with USDA’s decision to require any changes in the program to be cost-neutral.

As NMPF stated in comments on the proposed rule, this would result in food packages that are based as much or more on cost as on science. In particular, NMPF felt the reductions in the amount of cheese that could be substituted for milk in the food packages were ill advised. Likewise, NMPF also believed that the Department’s interim rule failed to provide a healthy and popular proposed improvement in the WIC program in the decision to not include yogurt in the food packages, as had been recommended by the Institute of Medicine.

The National Milk Producers Federation is now accepting applications for its National Dairy Leadership Scholarship Program for academic year 2010-2011.

Each year, NMPF awards 4 to 5 scholarships to outstanding graduate students (enrolled in Masters or Ph.D. programs) who are actively pursuing dairy-related fields of research that are of immediate interest to NMPF member cooperatives. Graduate students pursuing research of direct benefit to milk marketing cooperatives and dairy producers are encouraged to submit an application (applicants do not need to be members of NMPF to qualify). The top scholarship applicant will be awarded the Hintz Memorial Scholarship, which was created in 2005 in honor of the late Cass-Clay Creamery Board Chairman Murray Hintz who was instrumental in establishing NMPF’s scholarship program.

Recommended fields of study include but are not limited to agriculture communications and journalism, animal health, economics, environmental science, food safety, genetics, herd management, marketing and price analysis, nutrition, and product development. Applications are due no later than Monday, April 26, 2010. For an application or more information, please visit the NMPF website or call the NMPF office at 703-243-6111.

The NMPF Board of Director's spring 2010 meeting is scheduled for March 8-9 at the Ritz-Carlton, Pentagon City hotel in Arlington, Virginia.

Committee meetings will begin at 8:30 am on the 8th, including the Dues & Budget Committee Meeting, the Political Action Committee (PAC) Meeting, the Officers Meeting, and the Strategic Planning Task Force Meeting. The day will conclude with a membership reception. The full Board of Directors meeting will start at 7:00 am on the 9th.

Anyone with questions about the Board of Directors meeting should contact Anuja Miner.

The American Meat Institute Foundation (AMIF) will host the Animal Care and Handling Conference for the Food Industry from March 25-26, 2010, in Kansas City, MO. The conference is the leading animal welfare educational opportunity for meat companies, their customers, and those involved in the production and management of livestock and meat products. NMPF is a co-sponsor of the conference.

After being part of the NMPF staff for six years, Mary Knigge (Manager, Government Relations) left the organization in February to join the House Agriculture Committee professional staff. In her new role, she will be assisting the Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry Subcommittee for Chairman David Scott (D-GA) and Ranking Member Randy Neugebauer (R-TX).

Dairy animal care is likely to get additional attention regionally and nationally in 2010, and NMPF’s response to that focus is to both stress the steps farmers take to provide proper animal husbandry, and tout the benefits of the new National dairy FARM program unveiled in 2009. The Farmers Assuring Responsible Management program offers a nationwide, verifiable animal well-being program that demonstrates U.S. milk producers are committed to the highest quality standards.

The FARM program’s quick user reference guide is now available for distribution to producers, as a prelude to the on-farm education process later this year. NMPF cooperatives interested in sharing that information with their farmers should contact Betsy Flores on the NMPF staff.

Certain animal care practices, such as tail docking and dehorning, have been portrayed by animal rights groups and some in the media as unacceptable practices that should be banned from on-farm use. With the proper protocols in place and the use of anesthetics, these practices can be used safely and completed with minimal pain to the animals. Producers using these practices should consult with a veterinarian to review protocols and procedures.

In a letter sent last week to the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), NMPF again pressed for full exclusion of New Zealand’s dairy products in the Trans-Pacific Partnership Free Trade Agreement (FTA). This new U.S. trade initiative would include New Zealand, Vietnam, and Brunei, as well as four existing U.S. FTA partners: Australia, Chile, Singapore, and Peru.

Although NMPF believed in the importance of balanced trade and in the potential for well-negotiated trade agreements to benefit the U.S. dairy industry as a whole, each agreement must be judged on its own merits.

A U.S.-New Zealand TPP would negatively impact the U.S. dairy industry. NMPF estimated that milk prices received by producers would drastically drop and gross revenues received by U.S. dairy farmers would plunge by a cumulative $20 billion over the first 10 years of the FTA if U.S. dairy restrictions on exports from New Zealand were fully phased out in the TPP FTA.

Nearly 50 House members of the Congressional Dairy Farmer Caucus also sent a letter to USTR Ambassador Ron Kirk expressing their support for exclusion of U.S.-New Zealand dairy trade under the TPP.

The International Trade Commission (ITC) will hold a hearing in March on the economic impact of this new FTA. NMPF has already met with ITC staff about their analysis and plans to testify at the hearing.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), introduced a disapproval resolution last month to stop the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from regulating greenhouse gas emissions under the Clean Air Act. The Senator was joined by 40 Senate colleagues, including Chairwoman of the Senate Agriculture Committee Blanche Lincoln (D-AR).

Should the resolution pass, it would not only prevent EPA from moving forward on regulating greenhouse gasses, it would also send a clear signal that the Senate is not ready to move on climate change legislation this year. There is no word yet regarding when the resolution would come up for a vote, but it will not likely be before March. A similar or companion resolution has not been introduced in the House of Representatives, but there are several pieces of legislation that restrict EPA from regulating greenhouse gases.

NMPF, along with more than 130 other agriculture organizations, signed the letter supporting Sen. Murkowski’s resolution. The letter is available on the NMPF website.

The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) held its 91st annual meeting in Seattle last month. The delegates debated resolutions and policy amendments, and dairy policy was debated for nearly an hour.

The Farm Bureau passed a resolution stating the organization’s opposition to mandatory supply management. AFBF policy continues to support the CWT program. Delegates removed a resolution supporting lower somatic cell counts in fluid milk. Lastly, AFBF reiterated support for more dairy products to be consumed through the Women, Infant, and Children (WIC) nutrition program.

In order to bolster NMPF’s capabilities regarding scientific and technical issues, NMPF has hired Dr. Beth Briczinski as the Director of Dairy Foods & Nutrition. She began on Feb. 1.

Briczinski’s main responsibilities include food processing and security, food safety and public health, human nutrition, labeling, and domestic and international standards of identity. She joins Jamie Jonker, Vice President of Scientific & Regulatory Affairs and Betsy Flores, Director of Regulatory Affairs in the regulatory department.

Originally from Camp Hill, PA, Briczinski earned a BS, MS, and PhD in Food Science from the Pennsylvania State University, where she eventually specialized in dairy foods research. Her thesis research focused on dairy microbiology, specifically the physiology and characterization of lactic acid bacteria and bifidobacteria.

Briczinski came to NMPF from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she served on the staff of the Food Science Department and developed and taught courses in the undergraduate curricula for both Food Science and Dietetics majors. She can be reached at bbriczinski@nmpf.org.

With 2010 promising to provide continued challenges to the U.S. dairy industry, such as milk price volatility, increased costs, increases in government regulations, and marketplace pressures, NMPF announced today a reorganization of its staff to achieve the best possible results in the year ahead.

"This reorganization will strengthen NMPF's expertise in all areas vital to its member cooperatives," noted NMPF President & CEO Jerry Kozak. "It will ensure that the structure of the organization will be commensurate with future priorities."

Staffing changes include the appointment of Jaime Castaneda to Senior Vice President, Strategic Initiatives & Trade Policy. In this role, Castaneda will be responsible for the development of NMPF's strategic direction on public policy, including the current work of the NMPF Strategic Planning Task Force, and continue as the lead person for immigration reform. In addition, he will continue to lead efforts on all matters related to trade policy and international relations. Castaneda will be supported in the latter role by Shawna Morris, who has been promoted to the position of Vice President, Trade Policy.

Congressional relations and other government relations activities will now be led by Dana Brooks, who has been promoted to Vice President, Government Relations. Brooks will be assisted in NMPF’s day-to-day advocacy efforts on Capitol Hill by Mary Knigge, Manager of Government Relations. Knigge will also continue her role as staff liaison with the Young Cooperators’ Program.

Jim Tillison will assume the position of Senior Vice President, Marketing and Economic Research, and continue to serve as the Chief Operating Officer of the Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) Program. He will supervise economic and market research efforts, including all matters related to Federal Milk Marketing Orders. Tillison will be supported in these activities by Peter Vitaliano, Vice President, Economic Policy & Market Research, and Roger Cryan, Vice President, Milk Marketing & Economics. With respect to CWT, Khadija Gibson-White will provide on-going support as the CWT Program Assistant.

NMPF's communications and public relations efforts will remain under the direction of Chris Galen, Senior Vice President, Communications. Galen will be supported by Sarah Olson, who has been promoted to Manager of Communications.

Executive Vice President Tom Balmer will continue to supervise administrative functions, in addition to serving as Executive Director of the National Ice Cream Mix Association (NICMA). He will be supported in this position by Gail Mobley, Director of Finance and Administration. Balmer will also have direct oversight of NMPF's scientific and regulatory efforts, which are led by Jamie Jonker, Vice President of Scientific & Regulatory Affairs. Betsy Flores will continue in her position as Director of Regulatory Affairs. Her principal responsibilities include management of animal health and welfare efforts through the National Dairy FARM Program.

In order to bolster NMPF’s capabilities regarding scientific and technical issues, NMPF is also hiring Dr. Beth Briczinski as the Director of Dairy Foods & Nutrition. Briczinski will begin her duties on February 1st. She comes from the University of Wisconsin, where she served on the staff of the Food Science Department. Briczinski received her PhD in Food Science from Pennsylvania State University where she specialized in dairy foods research.

Anuja Miner, Senior Director for Executive Office & Member Relations, will continue her role in managing the Executive Office and all matters pertaining to the NMPF Officers and Board of Directors. Miner also has the primary responsibility for membership recruitment, the associate member program, and the American Butter Institute (ABI).

U.S. dairy producers and exporters urged the government to exclude any dairy-related changes in the trade relationship between the United States and New Zealand as part of a new free trade agreement between the countries.

In a letter sent to U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk, NMPF and the U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC) reaffirmed their commitment to seek full exclusion of trade in dairy products between the United States and New Zealand under the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Free Trade Agreement, because of the New Zealand dairy industry’s unique structure and excessive degree of control over dairy markets globally and in the United States.

Kirk notified Congress in December that President Obama intended to enter into negotiations of a regional Asia-Pacific trade agreement, known as the TPP, which would create a new free trade pact that would include seven other nations: Australia, Chile, Singapore, Peru, Brunei, Vietnam and New Zealand. The United States already has trade agreements with these countries, except for New Zealand, Vietnam, and Brunei.

New Zealand is the world’s largest dairy exporter, and benefits tremendously from the virtual dairy monopoly that currently exists there, whereby one company controls more than 90% of the country’s milk production.

“NMPF and USDEC firmly believe in the value of balanced trade agreements in reducing and ultimately eliminating [global] trade distortions,” the two organizations wrote. “This is why we have strongly supported the vast majority of FTAs pursued by the United States over the years, and it is why we also support the three FTAs currently pending congressional approval…as this Administration focuses on growing our competitiveness in Asia, we urge USTR to focus strongly on the agreement already in hand: the U.S.-South Korea FTA.”