Wisconsin Farmers Back Dairy Freedom Act
US – Senate Agriculture Committee leaders have received a letter from a farmer’s association urging them to support the Dairy Freedom Act in favour of the Dairy Security Act.
14 June 2013
2 minute read
While both Acts eliminate the Dairy Product Price Support Program (DPPSP), Milk Income Loss Contract (MILC) Program, and the Dairy Export Incentive Program (DEIP), the DSA will expand government influence in dairy trading, actually increasing prices and costs for the consumer.
This is the message of Wisconsin Dairy Business Association (WDBA) President, Jerry Meisner, who, in his letter, explained that the Dairy Security Act would be a bad move for a developing industry.
“As an organization comprised of both dairy producers and processors, we are in a unique position to explain why the Dairy Freedom Act is the best option for all of us in the dairy industry,” wrote Mr Meissner, a farmer on a 2,000 cow enterprise in Chili, Wisconsin.
“And as producers and processors in Wisconsin, America’s second largest dairy producing state, we can tell you why the supply management program included in the Dairy Security Act would be the worst thing for our growing industry,” he added.
Although conceding that both plans have effective measures for providing ‘catastrophic risk insurance’, Mr Meissner explained that the Dairy Security Act, would cost farmers more due to the imposition of additional regulations.
These regulations would come from the Dairy Market Stabilisation Programme. This, causes dread in the industry and, according to Mr Meisser, will stop the 2013 Farm Bill moving forward.
The WDBA therefore supports the Dairy Freedom Act, drawn up by congressmen Bob Goodlatte and David Scott, as it interferes the least in ‘an already highly regulated industry’.
TheCattleSite News Desk
