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Dairy producers from around the country will pack their bags and head to Omaha, Nebraska for the May 15-17, 2011 National Dairy Producers Conference (NDPC). Formerly known as the National Dairy Leaders Conference, the NDPC will provide an in-depth discussion of the issues facing the dairy industry, with educational discussions on many of the key challenges looming in 2011.

“The NDPC gives dairy producer participants the opportunity to listen, learn, and lead,” said Jerry Kozak, President & CEO of the National Milk Producers Federation, which is organizing the conference. “It’s a way to critically analyze the status of the dairy industry now and discuss possible solutions for the future.”

The NDPC will include a farm policy outlook panel that will look at the development of the next Farm Bill and feature congressional staff, other national farm organizations, agricultural lenders, and dairy producers as speakers. A trade policy panel will address technical barriers for global dairy trade and market access and include a speaker from the U.S. Dairy Export Council, among others.

Another NDPC session will cover the dairy industry’s environmental concerns, such as carbon regulation, EPA’s Total Maximum Daily Load regulation, results from the National Air Emissions Monitoring Study, and the outlook for EPA’s Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure program. Animal care challenges remains a concern for many dairy producers, and the NDPC will include a session that will feature speakers from major retailers and processors who will explain their expectations of animal care from farmers. Another NDPC session will address costs of production (such as energy and feed), and will focus specifically on managing change and risk.

The NDPC sessions will be preceded by optional farm tours that will take place on Sunday, May 15. Participants will be able to tour local dairy farms and visit a nearby ethanol production plant.

Although the conference is geared primarily toward dairy producers, anyone with a stake in the dairy industry is invited to attend. This may include dairy cooperative executives and directors, dairy processors, suppliers and consultants to the dairy business, state and federal regulators, promotion organization executives, and academics.

More information on the NDPC will be posted online at www.nmpf.org/NDPC when it becomes available.