The final USDA National Animal Identification System (NAIS) listening session occurred on June 30th in Nebraska. In all, USDA held 14 NAIS listening sessions across the country to allow producers and other interested individuals to provide input on animal identification.

The dairy industry provided a nearly universal voice in support of USDA moving forward with its existing authority to implement mandatory animal ID. These listening sessions were a follow-up to several recent congressional hearings, and Secretary Vilsack's meeting with industry on animal ID. Because NMPF has taken a strong stance on the necessity of mandatory animal ID as a collective insurance policy for the industry in the event of an animal disease outbreak, both USDA and Congress are taking note of the dairy industry's support for mandatory animal ID.

NAIS opponents were in force at these sessions, offering the same excuses against mandatory animal ID. NMPF has addressed these concerns with USDA (https://www.nmpf.org/files/file/IDairy%20USDA%204-15-09.pdf) and Congress (https://www.nmpf.org/files/file/Jordan%20Testimony%203-11-09.pdf) and believe now is the time for USDA to act on mandatory animal ID.

For more information on dairy animal ID, visit www.idairy.org.

A comprehensive national survey of the employment practices of America's dairy farmers found that they rely heavily on foreign-born workers. The survey, sponsored by NMPF and released on June 4th, determined that the loss of immigrant labor would cripple many farms and create a ripple effect of job losses through the rural economy. An electronic copy of the survey can be found at www.nmpf.org.

Working with researchers at Texas AgriLife Research, a component of the Texas A&M University System, NMPF surveyed more than 2,000 dairy farms last fall to assess their hiring practices. The survey found that U.S. dairies employed 138,000 full-time equivalent workers, of which 57,000, or 41%, were foreigners.

Respondents reported that they paid their workers $506 in average weekly wages, while most also reported providing at least one non-wage benefit to employees, such as paid vacation, housing, and/or insurance. Those non-wage benefits brought average dairy workers salaries in 2008 to $31,521, significantly higher than salaries in the landscaping, ranching, and fast food sectors, which employ similar proportions of immigrant workers.

Texas AgriLife Research estimated that if federal labor and immigrant policies were to result in the loss of just half of the 57,000 foreign-born dairy workers, an additional 66,000 workers would also be lost, due to the closure of some dairy farms, and the resulting multiplier effect of fewer jobs in grain and fertilizer production and sales, veterinary services, milk hauling, and related agricultural service jobs. This would produce an economic loss of $11 billion.

"At a time of rising unemployment across America, our elected officials need to understand that the need for rational immigration reform is all the more imperative," said Jerry Kozak, President and CEO of NMPF. "Congress needs to act quickly to pass legislation such as the AgJobs bill, recently introduced in both the House and Senate. AgJobs is a step towards comprehensive reform of the nation's immigration laws, which is clearly needed."

The dairy analysis also indicated that consumers likely would see higher retail dairy product prices, as the loss of farm labor would, in turn, cause farms to reduce or cease their production, reducing the overall U.S. dairy supply. Texas AgriLife Research calculated that a 50% reduction in the dairy immigration workforce would lower milk production by 7.9%, leading to a 30% increase in retail prices.

NMPF continues to tout the benefits of uniform, standardized animal care system in the form of the National Dairy FARM (Farmers Assuring Responsible Management) program. NMPF staff have conducted briefings with a variety of cooperatives and processors to explain why FARM will bring consistency and uniformity to on-farm care, and provide reassurance to consumers that the dairy products they purchase are from farms practicing responsible animal husbandry.

In Michigan, the state is considering codifying the FARM program's tenets into state law. NMPF Treasurer Ken Nobis, who is President of Michigan Milk Producers Association, describes the process that has culminated in the creation of the National Dairy FARM ProgramSM. Click here to view the video. (www.nationaldairyfarm.com/video.html).

The educational manual outlines best practices on the farm for a variety of animal care issues, including animal health from birth to end of life, housing, nutrition, and transportation and handling. The manual will be available in the fall at the National Dairy FARM website, www.nationaldairyfarm.com.

Earlier this week, USDA announced it is extending the remainder of uncommitted bids from the 2008-2009 Dairy Export Incentive Program (DEIP) marketing year allocations to 2009-2010. This action will make available 48,176 metric tons of nonfat dry milk, 19235 metric tons of butterfat, and 2878 metric tons of cheese for the period July 1, 2009 through June 30, 2010.

In an earlier letter, NMPF had asked USDA to authorize DEIP bonuses for the new fiscal year that began on July 1st, which, if fully implemented, could help clear another 1.7 billion pounds of milk from the U.S. market. By utilizing the uncommitted allocations from 2008-2009, USDA has largely addressed NMPF's request. However, USDA will continue to work with other federal agencies to make the rest of the full DEIP allocations (20,025 metric tons of nonfat dry milk, 1,862 metric tons of butterfat and 152 metric tons of cheese) available at a later date.

Both NMPF and the U.S. Dairy Export Council praised the action by Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack. "We appreciate USDA's prompt announcement," said NMPF's President & CEO Jerry Kozak. "Unlike the short period of time given to exporters under last year's DEIP announcement, this swift action by USDA will allow us to properly compete with other subsidized exporters. However, it is extremely important that USDA issue DEIP invitations immediately for all allowable categories of dairy products in a manner that maximizes exports so producers receive the full benefit."

In response to the current economic milk price crisis affecting dairy farmers across the country, NMPF's newly-formed Strategic Planning Task Force met in June to focus on short-term solutions to the dairy crisis, and will follow that introductory meeting with a more in-depth listening session in July to address longer-term solutions to the problem.

The Task Force voted last month to recommend to the CWT Committee and the NMPF Board of Directors to direct any available CWT funds to assist CWT members in utilizing the Dairy Export Incentive Program (DEIP) to its fullest extent. During each DEIP marketing year, the program has the potential to export the equivalent of more than 1.5 billion pounds of milk. The NMPF Board of Directors immediately approved the recommendation and directed CWT management to work with CWT members to facilitate this recommendation.

To address longer-term factors affecting price and volatility, the Task Force will meet later in July in Chicago with representatives from major dairy producer organizations across the nation that are proposing programs to resolve the crisis.

The Task Force will engage in a detailed dialogue with these groups "to determine the economic and political feasibility of those plans, with the goal of achieving a common understanding of how best to tackle the problems of low milk prices and high input costs," Kozak said.

Dr. Robert Byrne, the long-time lead technical expert at NMPF, has taken a new position as Director of Industry and Regulatory Affairs at Schreiber Foods in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Byrne worked at NMPF since 1998, most recently as Senior Vice President of Scientific and Regulatory Affairs.

At the beginning of June, USDA opened a comment period to consider public reaction to their proposal regarding how to adjust the Dairy Checkoff program to comply with the new Farm Bill legislation and apply the Dairy Import Assessment on imported casein, MPC, cheese, butter, and other products.

NMPF stated that it was a fundamental matter of fairness that all parties who benefit from the U.S. dairy marketplace pay to help grow that market, and urged all of its cooperatives to submit comments to indicate the widespread support for the issue and the urgency of moving quickly to put out a final rule. Comments were due to USDA by June 18th.

The comments that NMPF submitted are available here.