Tag: 2026 farm bill

NMPF Secures Key Dairy Wins as House Farm Bill Advances

Posted on by Rachel Ravencraft

The 2026 Farm Bill advanced by the House Agriculture Committee on March 5 includes several NMPF priorities, reflecting the organization’s months of engagement with Chairman GT Thompson, R-PA, and other dairy champions as the bill won wide, bipartisan committee approval.

Among provisions critical to strengthening dairy farmers and their cooperatives, the legislation authorizes long-term dairy product processing cost surveys and extends essential programs such as Dairy Forward Pricing, Dairy Indemnity, and the Dairy Research and Promotion Program. The bill also reinforces voluntary, producer-led conservation efforts, including targeted support for methane-reducing practices.

NMPF secured forward-looking trade provisions in the bill, including a long-term directive for the U.S. government to protect common cheese names like parmesan and feta in trade negotiations, an effort introduced and championed by NMPF. The bill also included an NMPF request to formally move the Food for Peace program to USDA and designate $200 million in annual funding for dairy-based therapeutic foods to support global malnutrition efforts.

Additional victories include strengthened export promotion funding, expanded access to renewable energy programs for farmer-owned cooperatives, broader dairy eligibility in nutrition incentive programs, and continued support for farmer mental health and on-farm safety.

Chairman Thompson is focused on advancing the bill, which President Trump supports, to the House floor in the weeks ahead. The Senate has not yet acted on a companion bill. As the farm bill process moves ahead, NMPF remains focused on building bipartisan momentum to deliver lasting results for America’s dairy farmers.

NMPF Applauds House Agriculture Committee for Advancing Farm Bill with Dairy Wins

Posted on by Rachel Ravencraft

The National Milk Producers Federation today thanked members of the House Agriculture Committee for advancing a farm bill in Congress, noting the bipartisan approval of a plan introduced by Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson, R-PA, that contains provisions important to dairy farmers and their cooperatives. 

“We applaud Chairman Thompson and members of the House Agriculture Committee for advancing the 2026 House Farm Bill, which includes key provisions that support and strengthen the dairy industry,” said Gregg Doud, president and CEO of NMPF. “We stand ready to work with members of both the House and Senate on a bipartisan basis to pass a farm bill this year that will provide critical support for dairy farmers and their cooperatives.” 

Key dairy provisions that NMPF advocated for include: 

  • Authorizing long-term dairy product processing cost surveys; 
  • Extending the Dairy Forward Pricing Program, the Dairy Indemnity Program, and the Dairy Promotion and Research Program; 
  • Supporting voluntary, producer-led conservation programs, such as the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), with a continued designation of conservation funds for livestock producers and a directive for states to prioritize methane-reducing practices; 
  • Establishing a long-term policy directive for the U.S. government to proactively negotiate protections for common cheese names like “parmesan” and “feta,” as championed by NMPF; 
  • Moving Food for Peace program administration to USDA and continuing $200 million in annual funding for Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Foods that incorporate milk powder to treat chronic malnutrition globally; 
  • Reassigning export promotion funding initially passed last year into existing farm bill programs, including the Market Access Program; 
  • Expanding economic opportunities for farmers to partner with local food distribution organizations to provide fresh, locally grown foods, including milk and other dairy products, to eligible community institutions; 
  • Including full-fat fluid milk, hard cheeses, and yogurt in the Dairy Nutrition Incentive Program;  
  • Expanding the REAP Program to include farmer-owned cooperatives with less than 2,500 employees;  
  • Reauthorizing the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network; and 
  • Continuing the ROPS Rebate Program under USDA, establishing cost-share grants for retrofitting agricultural tractors with rollover protection structures.