NMPF Secures Dairy Wins in House Farm Bill
June 2, 2024
The House Agriculture Committee-approved 2024 Farm Bill approved May 24 contains numerous NMPF-urged policy wins for dairy farmers, including an updated Dairy Margin Coverage Program and important support for its Federal Milk Marketing Order modernization proposal.
NMPF worked closely with House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson, R-PA, and committee members on the bill approved on a bipartisan vote of 33-21. It now moves to the House floor for further consideration.
“We commend Chairman Thompson and committee members from both parties for approving a 2024 House Farm Bill that includes critical dairy priorities that will help support and grow this industry,” said Gregg Doud, president and CEO of NMPF in a statement. “We will do whatever we can to work with lawmakers in both chambers on a bipartisan basis to pass a new law as soon as possible, knowing that dairy is well-served by what the House Agriculture Committee approved today.”
Provisions benefiting dairy urged by NMPF are found across the bill’s titles, including ones that:
- Extend the Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) Program through 2029; update production history for participating dairies to be based on the highest production year of 2021, 2022, or 2023; and extend the ability for producers to receive a 25% premium discount for locking in five years of coverage;
- Restore the “higher of” Class I mover to reinstate orderly milk marketing and require plant cost studies every two years to provide better data to inform future make allowance conversations, two key components of NMPF’s Federal Milk Marketing Order modernization proposal;
- Support the bipartisan, House-passed Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act to reverse the underconsumption of nutritious milk in schools;
- Boost funding for critical dairy trade promotion programs and protect the use of common food names worldwide;
- Support voluntary, producer-led conservation programs, such as the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, with dedicated funds for livestock operations and language encouraging states to prioritize methane-reducing practices;
- Improve the certification of Third-Party Service Providers with technical expertise related to conservation planning to better assist producers participating in National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) programs;
- Continue the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network; and
- Increase funding for animal health initiatives and programs.
During the committee markup, two NMPF-backed amendments were offered for discussion.
- Dusty Johnson, R-SD, with support from Representative Nick Langworthy, R-NY, offered an amendment to allow farmer-owned cooperatives with 2,500 or fewer employees to access the Rural Energy for America Program for energy efficiency projects.
- Representative Derrick Van Orden, R-WI, offered an amendment to increase the authorization for the Dairy Business Innovation Initiatives from $20 million to $36 million. Chairman Thompson committed to collaborating with the sponsors of both amendments as the farm bill advances through the legislative process.
As House legislation advanced, Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow, D-MI, released a comprehensive farm bill framework on May 1 including key dairy provisions, such as:
- Extending the DMC program through 2029, including the option for producers to lock in their coverage and receive a 25% premium discount, while also updating production history for participating dairies to be based on the highest production year of 2021, 2022, or 2023;
- Requiring plant cost studies every two years to provide better data to inform future make allowance conversations;
- Supporting voluntary, producer-led conservation programs, such as the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, with dedicated funds for livestock operations and provisions supporting sustainable feed management; and
- Protecting the use of common food names worldwide
- Maintaining or boosting funding for key farm stress and animal health programs.
Senate Agriculture Committee Ranking Member John Boozman, R-AR, has announced plans to unveil his own farm bill framework in the coming weeks.
