Emily Yeiser Stepp, a National Milk Producers Federation vice president and head of the National Dairy Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM) Program, is seeing rapid evolution in the initiative as the dairy industry continues to ensure quality animal care, a commitment to sustainability and best practices in the workplace even as coronavirus disrupts supply chains.

“In agriculture, in our industries, we figure things out. And that is the beauty of being part of this community, is that we will figure out how to do this in the most effective manner that provides those assurances long-term,” Yeiser Stepp said. “We’re all in this together.”

To listen to the full podcast, click here. You can also find the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify,  SoundCloud and Google Play. Broadcast outlets may use the MP3 file. Please attribute information to NMPF.

The National Milk Producers Federation, the largest organization of U.S. dairy farmers, commended the U.S. Department of Agriculture for its timely responses to the coronavirus crisis while outlining what agency actions could best aid dairy farmers as they brace for further public-health and market impacts of coronavirus.

“Over the last five weeks, the [USDA’s] estimate of 2020 milk prices reflect a drop of about $2.85 billion at the farm level,” wrote NMPF President and CEO Jim Mulhern in the letter, sent to Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue this morning. “Further drops are possible as the impact of the covid-19 outbreak spreads. The demand shock experienced by our entire economy is turning what initially looked to dairy farmers like the first decent year in the last five into one of potentially widespread economic devastation.”

Dairy farmers – whose work as part of agriculture has been reaffirmed as critical infrastructure by the Department of Homeland Security – expect to face price declines and unstable demand over the next several months, as joblessness rises, schools remain closed and farm and dairy processing operations face unprecedented logistical challenges.

Congress and the Trump Administration have already helped by approving food purchases and offering flexibility in transportation rules. In its letter NMPF said it looks forward to working with the USDA in program implementation, trade facilitation and other areas, but said additional remedies will be needed, including:

• Additional dairy product purchases, which will help Americans in need during what may be a period of very high demand at food banks;
• Compensation for milk disposal, a real possibility as logistical challenges on the farm and at manufacturing plants may create severe disruptions; and
• Re-opening signup for participation in the Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) program, the main safety net for dairy farmers, especially small and medium-sized producers. DMC participation declined in 2020 because of forecasts for higher prices that have been radically revised in light of coronavirus.

“U.S. dairy farmers and their cooperatives will continue to be careful stewards of the naturally nutritious and wholesome product we harvest around the clock, 365 days a year. Like you, we understand the importance of steady production and steady consumption,” Mulhern said. “We hope to work with you on the priorities outlined above, as well as other issues that may arise as we collectively grapple with the consequences of this unique challenge.”

The National Milk Producers Federation is offering additional resources for the dairy community here.

ARLINGTON, Va. – The National Milk Producers Federation’s coronavirus webpage is expanding further, adding a farmer handbook to address dairy production needs and launching a podcast series featuring experts discussing crucial issues faced by dairy farmers and the broader industry as they work to feed the U.S. and the world.

“Dairy farmers are working hard to provide consumers a safe and abundant supply of milk, and they critically need resources to help them manage in a fast-changing environment. To assist them, we’re working our hardest to keep up with those needs,” said Jim Mulhern, president and CEO of the National Milk Producers Federation. “This covid-19 resource, www.nmpf.org/coronavirus, is a valuable tool both for farmers to manage their operations and for the broader industry and consumer community to understand what’s happening in dairy and respond appropriately.”

The handbook, drafted by members of the National Dairy FARM (Farmers Assuring Responsible Management) program, addresses topics from preventing coronavirus transmission in the workplace to proper workforce management in a pandemic. It’s part of a wide range of resources on the site, which first launched March 6 and since then has continually added content that aids aid the dairy community from farm to consumer as the coronavirus crisis has deepened, including links to key government documents and information for processors.

The podcast series started last week with NMPF staff scientist Jamie Jonker discussing how dairy farms are adding coronavirus-related safety measures. Another interview featured Clay Detlefsen, senior vice president for environmental and regulatory affairs, explaining a private-sector/government collaboration effort he’s leading that’s helping fix supply-chain issues as they arise.

Future podcasts will address animal care, the dairy economy, and dairy’s evolving response to coronavirus, among other topics. You can subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify,  SoundCloud and Google Play.

 

Listen to the latest updates on coronavirus (COVID-19) and its impact on the U.S. dairy industry from NMPF Senior Vice President of Membership Services and Strategic Initiatives Chris Galen on Dairy Radio Now.

Clay Detlefsen, senior vice president of regulatory and environmental affairs for the National Milk Producers Federation, says that based on information he’s received while serving in another role — as the private-sector chair of the Food and Agricultural Sector Coordinating Council – shortages of consumer staples in grocery stores strained by responses to coronavirus-related restrictions should begin easing, as soon as within a week.

“There is plenty of food in this country. There is no food shortage,” said Detlefsen in an NMPF podcast. “We have a bit of a distribution problem caused largely by consumers, in essence, over-consuming.”

Still, coronavirus-related challenges to food supply chains go well beyond store shelves, he said.  The good news, Detlefsen said, is that private-sector and government coordination is “light-years” better than in past crises such as Hurricane Katrina. The Food and Agriculture Sector Coordinating Council, set up after the Sept. 2001 terror attacks to share information between government agencies and private businesses, now has years of experience dealing with food-chain crises and has been dealing with coronavirus concerns for weeks.

To listen to the full podcast, click here. You can also find the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify,  SoundCloud and Google Play. Broadcast outlets may use the MP3 file. Please attribute information to NMPF.

 

The National Milk Producers Federation’s Vice President for Sustainability and Scientific Affairs, Dr. Jamie Jonker, discusses why U.S. milk supplies are safe and details the precautions dairy farmers are taking to protect their workers and facilities in light of the coronavirus pandemic in a podcast released today.

Jonker, an internationally recognized expert in animal health, explains topics ranging from why pasteurization is an effective safeguard against coronavirus to how dairies are working to keep milk production going 24/7 while looking out for their own workers. To listen to the full podcast, click here. You can also find the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify,  SoundCloud and Google Play. Broadcast outlets may use the MP3 file Please attribute information to NMPF.

ARLINGTON, Va. – In light of consumer concern over food-supply disruptions, Jim Mulhern, president and CEO of the National Milk Producers Federation, the largest U.S. organization of dairy farmers, offered the following statement:

“U.S. dairy farmers are stewards of a product that’s harvested around the clock, 365 days a year, and they understand the importance of steady production as well as steady consumption. The U.S. food-supply chain is more than capable of meeting demand, and consumers should be reassured that milk and dairy products will continue to be produced and available in the coming weeks and months.

“Dairy supplies aren’t experiencing production interruptions at this time, and dairy farmers and processors will continue to do what they do best: produce safe, quality products every day for consumers in the U.S. and worldwide. We will vigilantly work with all aspects of the dairy supply chain to ensure these products get to everyone who needs them and that — as has always been true — dairy will remain something consumers can count on.”

NMPF’s Alan Bjerga discusses the response of dairy producers to the coronavirus on RFD-TV.

Dairy farmers from National Milk Producers Federation member cooperatives and state dairy associations are visiting U.S. Senate offices today and tomorrow as part of a fly-in calling for an agricultural labor bill that could be reconciled with a plan the House approved last year, providing the stable, secure labor force U.S. dairy producers need.

U.S. dairy producers face labor shortages that are more intense than those felt in agriculture as a whole because they cannot use the H-2A farmworker program, which only provides for seasonal labor rather than the year-round workers dairy needs. With domestic workers in short supply and foreign labor difficult to employ under current policies, dairy farmers are urging lawmakers to find real solutions.

“The situation is dire,” said Jim Mulhern, president and CEO of NMPF, the biggest U.S. dairy-farmer organization. “Dairy farmers face labor shortages while they are forced to navigate the deeply uncertain and volatile realities undergirding agriculture labor in the U.S. Meanwhile, uncertainty on the farm harms individuals and rural communities that rely on those farms to generate jobs.”

The House of Representatives in December passed bipartisan legislation allowing for year-round visas in dairy as part of the first ag-labor bill to pass that chamber since 1986. NMPF supported the bill, noting that, although imperfect, its passage was a necessary step in moving toward a legislative solution addressing the ag labor crisis, with further work to be done in the Senate to improve upon the House measure.

The fly-in is taking place after the conclusion of NMPF’s March Board of Directors meeting held in Arlington, Virginia. During the board meeting, NMPF officially expanded its membership with the addition of Cayuga Marketing, LLC based in Auburn, NY, adding an important upstate New York voice to NMPF’s work on behalf of all dairy producers. NMPF also endorsed dairy-sector sustainability efforts during its meeting, lauding industrywide plans to reduce carbon emissions to net zero.

Connecticut dairy farmer, James “Cricket” Jacquier, testified today before the House Committee on Agriculture’s Subcommittee on Livestock and Foreign Agriculture in order to provide a dairy stakeholder perspective on agricultural trade. Jacquier is Chairman of the Board for Agri-Mark, a dairy cooperative comprised of 850 farm families across New England and New York. Agri-Mark is a member of the National Milk Producers Federation and the U.S. Dairy Export Council, which work together to advance dairy trade policy for the industry.

In his testimony, Jacquier urged Congress to work with the Administration to use negotiating resources wisely to target important agricultural markets and create greater access for U.S. dairy products with key trading partners. He noted that careful and proactive attention to the implementation and enforcement of negotiated trade agreements, such as USMCA, will be critical in the coming year, emphasizing in particular the importance of ironing out details pertaining to new export access and Class 7 related dairy policy reforms with Canada, and common cheese name safeguards with Mexico as USMCA progresses.

Regarding GIs, Jacquier also raised concerns with the European Union’s (EU) efforts to misuse geographical indication to instead confiscate common food names, such as parmesan, feta and asiago, as well as wine and meat terms.

“America’s dairy farmers applaud the certainty that lowered tariffs and fairly negotiated trade agreements bring to our industry. However, if we cannot combat outrageous nontariff barriers, such as those the EU is manufacturing to block the export of American-made cheeses, these trade wins can ring hollow. The EU’s stance on common food names is a protectionist and anti-trade policy and it must be firmly rejected by Congress and by U.S. trade officials at every turn,” Jacquier said.

Dairy farmers, manufacturers and rural communities rely on the economic benefits provided by dairy exports. In 2019, America’s dairy industry exported more than $6 billion in dairy products ranging from cheese to ice cream to milk powders. Trade disputes and a lack of market access comparable to our competitors has significantly harmed the dairy industry, contributing to a 15% decline in dairy farms over the past two years, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture data.

You can find Jacquier’s submitted testimony here.