NMPF Strategic Planning Task Force Gets Underway
July 8, 2009
NMPF Strategic Planning Task Force Gets Underway
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.
