Uncategorized
NMPF’s Bjerga on Global Food Security and Dairy’s Role
Author of the book “Endless Appetites” and NMPF Executive Vice President for Communications and Industry Relations Alan Bjerga speaks on trends in global food security from the World Food Prize in Des Moines, IA, with RFD-TV. Bjerga also discusses how dairy and animal agriculture are an important part of food security solutions both through nutrition and job creating, pointing out how livestock farming can be done sustainably and noting dairy’s role in furthering that goal.
USDEC’s Harden discusses USDA Support for Trade
Krysta Harden, president and CEO of the U.S. Dairy Export Council, discusses the value of USDA support for U.S. agricultural exports in an interview with RFD-TV from the World Food Prize in Des Moines, IA. The department said Oct. 24 it plans to devote $2.3 billion from the Commodity Credit Corporation to promoting better market opportunities for U.S. agricultural producers and expanding food aid to support communities in need around the world, a move advocated for by NMPF and USDEC.
NMPF and USDEC Commend Significant New Investment in Export Market Promotion
The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) and U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC) praised today’s announcement from the U.S. Department of Agriculture that it plans to devote $2.3 billion from the Commodity Credit Corporation to promoting better market opportunities for U.S. agricultural producers and expanding food aid to support communities in need around the world.
The expanded export support program and food aid were requested by Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow, D-MI, and Ranking Member Sen. John Boozman, R-AR, in late August. USDA will devote $1.3 billion to establishing a Regional Agricultural Trade Promotion Program, and $1 billion to commodity-based international food aid.
“The U.S. dairy community is grateful for the USDA’s decision to invest in supporting the cultivation of enhanced international market opportunities for America’s dairy farmers and cooperatives. We thank Senators Stabenow and Boozman for their initiative in encouraging USDA to pursue this course of action,” said NMPF president and CEO Jim Mulhern. “Now more than ever, the U.S. dairy industry relies on exports. If distributed to those sectors that are presently underfunded such as dairy, the new export promotion funding will put us in a better position to compete globally and grow our consumer base. NMPF encourages Congress to build on today’s announcement by USDA to also deliver additional funding for the Market Access Program and Foreign Market Development Program in the development of the next Farm Bill.”
NMPF, USDEC and other agricultural leaders are advocating for Congress to double funding for the Market Access Program and Foreign Market Development program – the two programs have not received a raise in over 16 years, despite offering consistent returns on investment.
“Farmers, manufacturers and workers up and down the dairy supply chain benefit from expanded trade opportunities that help the industry thrive in today’s global economy,” said USDEC president and CEO Krysta Harden. “We’re thankful that USDA is taking this important step to support American Agriculture and appreciate Senators Stabenow and Boozman elevating the importance of using CCC resources to fund programs that will strengthen the U.S. dairy industry through the creation of new markets and the promotion of nutritional dairy-containing products in food aid. We look forward to continuing to work together to level the playing field for America’s dairy farmers and producers.”
CWT Assists with 2.2 Million Pounds of Dairy Product Export Sales
ARLINGTON, VA – Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) member cooperatives accepted 17 offers of export assistance from CWT that helped them capture sales contracts for 2.1 million pounds (950 MT) of American-type cheese and 79,000 pounds (36 MT) of cream cheese. The product is going to customers in Asia, Central America, the Caribbean and Middle East-North Africa, and will be delivered from October 2023 through January 2024.
CWT-assisted member cooperative year-to-date export sales total 38.8 million pounds of American-type cheeses, 908,000 pounds of butter (82% milkfat), 26,000 pounds of anhydrous milkfat, 38.8 million pounds of whole milk powder and 7.3 million pounds of cream cheese. The products are going to 25 countries in five regions. These sales are the equivalent of 719.7 million pounds of milk on a milkfat basis.
Assisting CWT members through the Export Assistance program positively affects all U.S. dairy farmers and cooperatives by fostering the competitiveness of U.S. dairy products in the global marketplace and helping member cooperatives gain and maintain world market share for U.S. dairy products. As a result, the program has helped significantly expand the total demand for U.S. dairy products and the demand for U.S. farm milk that produces those products.
The amounts of dairy products and related milk volumes reflect current contracts for delivery, not completed export volumes. CWT pays export assistance to the bidders only when export and delivery of the product is verified by required documentation.
###
The Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) Export Assistance program is funded by voluntary contributions from dairy cooperatives and individual dairy farmers. The money raised by their investment is being used to strengthen and stabilize the dairy farmers’ milk prices and margins
NMPF’s Jonker brings the IDF World Dairy Summit home
NMPF Chief Science Officer Jamie Jonker connects the themes of the World Dairy Summit, which concluded in Chicago on Thursday, to advancing the interests of U.S. dairy farmers. The summit, hosted by the United States for the first time since 1994, had attendees from 55 countries and activities from technical panels to farm tours.
USDEC’s (and DFA’s) Peterson discusses U.S. dairy leadership
U.S. Dairy Export Council Chairman and farmer-member of the Dairy Farmers of America cooperative Alex Peterson discusses how the International Dairy Federation World Dairy Summit has given dairy experts around the world insights into the success U.S. dairy farmers have had in nourishing consumers and leading in agricultural sustainability and efficiency. Peterson speaks with RFD-TV.
NMPF’s Vitaliano Says Dairy Farmers Strongly Behind FMMO Modernization
USDA’s Federal Milk Marketing Order hearing will continue following a recess through the Thanksgiving holiday. Peter Vitaliano, National Milk Producers Federation Vice President of Economic Policy & Market Research, says the hearing is making progress and that farmers are still solidly behind changes to the FMMO system. “The producer groups are together. That’s the key thing,” he said. “The producers are the ones who vote for federal orders.”
NMPF’s Jonker Welcomes the World to U.S. Dairy
NMPF Chief Science Officer Jamie Jonker discusses the International Dairy Federation World Dairy Summit taking place in Chicago this week in an interview with RFD-TV. The summit, which is being hosted by the United States for the first time since 1994, brings together dairy experts from around the world and is proving to be a great showcase for U.S. dairy excellence.
Forward Movement on feed management
By Paul Bleiberg, Executive Vice President for Government Relations, National Milk Producers Federation
Today’s political climate seems to feature one surprise after another. Congress shocked the country late last month by voting in an overwhelmingly bipartisan fashion to avert a government shutdown that had been considered all but guaranteed. Another jolt came three days later when the House voted for the first time in American history to remove its speaker — all because he allowed the shutdown to be averted!
But even as shocking headlines seem to become the norm, important bipartisan policy work is quietly, gradually advancing. The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) has continued its efforts in 2023 to enact policies that position dairy farmers to fulfill their goal of becoming greenhouse gas neutral or better by 2050. A cornerstone of this goal is feed management to reduce enteric methane emissions, which can comprise as much as one-third of a dairy farm’s greenhouse gas footprint.
To make successful feed management a reality, NMPF is pursuing a two-step strategy. The first is securing Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of animal feed additives that can reduce enteric emissions. The second is using United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) conservation programs to get these innovative animal feed ingredients into enterprising producers’ hands. This year has been marked by critical progress on both steps.
In June, the Senate HELP Committee passed the Innovative FEED Act by a bipartisan of 19 votes to 2 votes. This important bill, led by Senators Roger Marshall (R-KS) and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) would provide clear direction for the FDA to review promising animal feed ingredients in a safe but expeditious manner, getting them to market faster than animal drugs to help U.S. dairy farmers remain competitive globally. NMPF is working closely with partners in agriculture and conservation to enact this bill into law this year.
Then, just last month, USDA formally recognized feed management as a climate-smart conservation practice, better positioning dairy farmers to seek conservation support for voluntary uptake of animal feed ingredients. In that spirit, several NMPF members and partners have applied for Regional Conservation Partnership Program funding for the 2023 fiscal year to support dairy farmers who want to be on the front end of the rapid uptake of new feed additives.
Dairy farmers have long been environmental stewards who adapt to new technologies and opportunities. Important progress made on feed management this year, on Capitol Hill and at USDA, is setting the stage for continued innovation on the dairy farm for many years to come.
This column originally appeared in Hoard’s Dairyman Intel on Oct. 16, 2023.
CWT Assists with 355,000 Pounds of Dairy Product Export Sales
ARLINGTON, VA – Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) member cooperatives accepted two offers of export assistance from CWT that helped them capture sales contracts for 355,000 pounds (161 MT) of American-type cheese. The product is going to customers in Middle East-North Africa and Oceania, and will be delivered from October through December 2023.
CWT-assisted member cooperative year-to-date export sales total 36.8 million pounds of American-type cheeses, 908,000 pounds of butter (82% milkfat), 26,000 pounds of anhydrous milkfat, 36.8 million pounds of whole milk powder and 7.2 million pounds of cream cheese. The products are going to 25 countries in five regions. These sales are the equivalent of 699.7 million pounds of milk on a milkfat basis.
Assisting CWT members through the Export Assistance program positively affects all U.S. dairy farmers and cooperatives by fostering the competitiveness of U.S. dairy products in the global marketplace and helping member cooperatives gain and maintain world market share for U.S. dairy products. As a result, the program has helped significantly expand the total demand for U.S. dairy products and the demand for U.S. farm milk that produces those products.
The amounts of dairy products and related milk volumes reflect current contracts for delivery, not completed export volumes. CWT pays export assistance to the bidders only when export and delivery of the product is verified by required documentation.
###
The Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) Export Assistance program is funded by voluntary contributions from dairy cooperatives and individual dairy farmers. The money raised by their investment is being used to strengthen and stabilize the dairy farmers’ milk prices and margins.
NMPF’s Bjerga on How to Learn More About FMMO
NMPF Executive Vice President for Communications and Industry Relations Alan Bjerga offers an update on where the USDA’s Federal Milk Marketing Order hearing stands as it goes on hiatus until late November. Bjerga also discusses the importance of the IDF-World Dairy Summit in Chicago and where the public can go to learn more about the FMMO discussion, in an interview with WEKZ radio, Janesville, WI.
