ARLINGTON, VA – From NMPF President & CEO Gregg Doud:
“NMPF thanks Chairman Boozman, Senate Agriculture Committee members, and their staffs for working to put together a farm bill that will bring greater certainty to producers. Dairy farmers look forward to working with senators to get this legislation passed and into conference with the already passed House bill, where lawmakers can craft the best legislation possible.”
Some key dairy highlights of the bill include:
- Authorizing mandatory cost and yield surveys to ensure future changes to the Federal Milk Marketing Orders reflect the most current market conditions, building off funding in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA);
- Extending the Dairy Indemnity Program and the Dairy Promotion and Research Program and making permanent the Dairy Forward Pricing 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;
- Streamlining the process for conservation Technical Service Provider certification to ensure producers have access to qualified individuals to help fill the gaps in needed technical assistance;
- 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;
- Reassigning export promotion funding initially included in the OBBBA into existing Farm Bill programs like the Market Access Program to make it easier to use by USDA’s international promotion partners, including the U.S. Dairy Export Council;
- Establishing the Dairy Nutrition Incentive Program and allowing additional milk, yogurt, and cheese products to be eligible;
- Expanding the REAP Program to include farmer-owned cooperatives;
- Modernizing FDA’s regulatory framework for approving animal feed ingredients to put American farmers on a level playing field with the rest of the world on innovative technologies in the feed industry;
- Expanding opportunities for animal health programs to receive additional funding through annual appropriations;
- Clarifying that whole milk may be served in the school breakfast program;
- Increasing the authorization of funding for Dairy Business Innovation Initiatives that support the development, production, marketing and distribution of dairy products;
- 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; and
- Making improvements to the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network and increasing funding through annual appropriations.
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