USDA has announced that dairy producers in all Federal Order markets have approved the interim final rule on Class III and IV price formulas, originally published on June 20, 2008. These amendments take effect beginning with September milk for all classes, including the advanced prices that will be announced on August 22, 2008. (The August prices to be announced on September 5 will be calculated with the old formulas.) More [6]...

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission held a meeting July 29th of its Agricultural Advisory Committee to address recent problems in futures markets for agricultural commodities. The meeting was attended by the entire Commission, and also by NMPF staff. As a member of the Agricultural Advisory Committee, NMPF made a statement at the meeting, applauding the Commission's initial steps to examine and address these issues, but urging further action. More [6]...

In light of the continuing discovery of BSE-infected cattle in Canada, combined with the recent release of a USDA report that concludes the agency has problems tracking and ensuring the health of cattle imported from Canada, NMPF is asking the USDA to close the border to imports of dairy cattle for breeding or herd replacement purposes. Nine BSE positive animals identified in Canada... More [6]...

July was been a busy month for CWT. In mid-July, CWT staff reviewed the 610 bids it received as part of its fifth herd retirement, and selected 210 bids that were less than the maximum bid level per hundredweight that CWT had established. CWT staff also looked at the monthly milk production information... More [6]...

Ministers from around the world met for a week and half, beginning July 21, in Geneva, Switzerland to try to hammer out a new world trade agreement by completing the seven-year-old Doha round of talks. The effort fell short, however, when developing countries like China and India insisted on securing a right to put in place tariffs even higher than their current levels... More [6]...

[6]As the month of August begins, the barn-safe, bilingual "Top 10 Considerations for Culling and Transporting Dairy Animals to a Packing or Processing Facility" poster is making its way into the hands of dairy producers around the country. More [6]...

At the American Dairy Science Association (ADSA) Annual Meeting in Indianapolis, IN on July 11, Kevin Harvatine was awarded the National Milk Producers Federation Richard M. Hoyt Award in recognition of research efforts with direct application to problems of the U.S. dairy industry... More [6]...

The direct mail portion of the National Dairy Producer Johne's survey is complete, but additional feedback is needed to help identify barriers to and incentives for participation in the Voluntary Bovine Johne's Disease Control Program. More [6]...

In just a few short months, NMPF and the National Dairy Promotion and Research Board (NDB) and the United Dairy Industry Association (UDIA) will host their Annual Meeting October 28-30 at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Conference Center in Nashville, TN. More [6]...

Click to view the latest installment of the CEO's corner. [11]