This Week's Other Stories:
EDITORIAL
COMMENT: Is Record Years And Months Skew Statistical Comparisons by Dick Groves
OTHER NEWS:
Possible Dairy ‘Whiplash’ Effect Seen: Rising Demand, Falling Production
OTHER NEWS:
US Packaging Machinery Shipments Reached $10.2 Billion In Value In 2022
GUEST COLUMNISTS: Prioritizing Worker Safety Will Never Become Antiquated by Jen Pino Gallagher, M3 Insurance
COMPANY PROFILE:
Galloway Company Continues To Find Success Through A Culture
Of Quality And Pride
PREVIOUS COLUMNS: As OSHA Continues Focus on Food Processors, Dairy Can Demonstrate Its People-First Culture, by Rebekah Sweeney, WCMA
Milk Prices Will Improve For Remainder Of 2023, by Dr. Bob Cropp
Sustainability: The Producer's Prospective - Part 2, by Ty Rohloff, Compeer Financial
Sustainability In Dairy Processing: Part 1, A Changing Landscape, by Ty Rohloff, Compeer Financial
A Broad Milk Price Hearing Approaches the Starting Line by John Umhoefer, WCMA
BEC Causes
Dairy Products
To Go MIA, by Jen Pino-Gallagher, M3 Insurance
Is Your Business Continuity Plan Missing A Key Ingredient
by Jim Brunker, M3 Insurance
How To Demonstrate Food Safety Culture, by Brandis Wasvick, Blue Compass Compliance
Sharing Your Message: Communicating To Employees About The COVID-19 Vaccine, Jeff Christensen, Director of Communication
M3 Insurance
Cheese Makers, Cheese Marketers Discuss How To Manage the Pandemic by Dan Strongin
Boots On The Ground
by Jim Cisler
As FSMA Takes Full Effect, Partnership Opportunities Abound To Improve Food Safety Practices by Larry Bell and Jim Mueller
Subscribe
|
|
Hearing Testimony Looks At How Much To Raise Make Allowances
Testimony at USDA’s federal milk marketing order (FMMO) hearing continued here last Friday and all this week on three proposals to increase make allowances in all FMMOs.
Earlier last week, Peter Vitaliano, vice president, economic policy and market research, at the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF), testified in support of Proposal 7, submitted by NMPF, which would increase make allowances as follows: butterfat, from 17.15 to 21.0 cents per pound of butter; nonfat solids, from 16.78 to 21.0 cents per pound of nonfat dry milk; protein, from 20.03 to 24.0 cents per pound of Cheddar cheese; and other solids, from 19.91 to 23.0 cents per pound of dry whey.
Monty Schilter, senior vice president of Northwest Dairy Association (NDA, also known as Darigold), testified that NDA/Darigold supports NMPF’s proposal “as they are directionally correct with increased cost to operation of our manufacturing and balancing plants.
“We support the call to immediate action and also support the need for a formal, mandatory and audited regular update to the make allowances to stay in line with industry trends,” Schilter stated. “However, we do not support a significant change in year one as it would have devastating impacts to our producers.”
Mike John, executive vice president of milk marketing and ingredient sales for Maryland and Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative (MDVA), said MDVA “fully supports” the increases in the make allowances for butter and nonfat dry milk as outlined in Proposal 7. And MDVA supports NMPF’s phased implementation for make allowance increases.
Also, MDVA “fully supports” NMPF’s proposal that USDA be given the authority to conduct mandatory cost studies giving the industry more timely and accurate cost conversion information.
Cricket Jacquier, a third-generation dairy farmer and chair of the board for Agri-Mark, supports NMPF’s proposal to increase make allowances.
“As a cooperative owner, and board chair, I know all too well that inaccurate make allowances are significantly and negatively impacting the cooperative business that I and my fellow farmer-owners have worked hard building for over a century,” Jacquier said.
Today’s “inadequate make allowances have created a reality in which some farmers are already receiving reduced pay prices compared to their neighbors,” Jacquier continued. It is “imperative that we address make allowances and address them now.”
Catherine de Ronde, vice president of economics and legislative affairs for Agri-Mark, testified in support of NMPF’s proposal to increase make allowances.
“Increased costs of manufacturing must be addressed through FMMO make allowances now and often in the future to correct for cost discrepancies and maintain orderly markets,” de Ronde testified. Agri-Mark also supports NMPF’s legislative efforts to provide USDA with the authority to conduct mandatory and auditable costs of processing surveys every two years.
“Agri-Mark acknowledges, as does NMPF, that from a pure manufacturing perspective, the proposed make allowances are not adequate and will not cover the full increase in costs of processing Agri-Mark and many other Class III and Class IV manufacturers have incurred since 2008,” de Ronde said. “Agri-Mark views Proposal 7 as the first step in the right direction, providing some financial relief to manufacturers, while ensuring a reasonable producer impact.”
Paul Bauer, CEO and general manager of the Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery (ECC), noted that Ellsworth has the “unique position” of supplying information to USDA’s National Dairy Products Sales Report (NDPSR) on two products, barrel cheese and sweet whey powder.
...
Send me more information
|