A comprehensive new government analysis of the sources of foodborne illness found that because of the consumption of raw milk products, dairy foods are the second leading source of viral and bacterial problems.

The report, produced by the Centers for Disease Control and published in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases, found that during a ten-year period from 1998 to 2008, dairy products caused 14 percent of the illnesses and 10 percent of the deaths. Only leafy greens had a higher incidence of illness. Part of the reason why dairy products were commonly linked to foodborne illness is that their level of consumption is high, with many Americans eating some form of dairy product every day. The other reason is that the consumption of raw fluid milk, and home-made cheeses made from raw milk, continues to grow.

The CDC report is “a compelling illustration of why NMPF has asked federal and state regulators and legislators to more aggressively oppose efforts, many of them at the state level, to expand the sales and availability of raw milk,” said Jerry Kozak, President and CEO of NMPF. “The purported benefits of the products over pasteurized milk have no scientific validity and are impossible to prove, but the health risks are clear, as this report indicates.”

Foodborne illness sends 128,000 Americans to the hospital each year and leads to 3,000 deaths annually. To compile the report, the CDC evaluated more than 4,500 food-borne disease outbreaks from 1998 to 2008.

Dairy producers from around the country will pack their bags and head to Indianapolis, Indiana, for the April 7 – 9, 2013 National Dairy Producers Conference (NDPC). Held every other year, the NDPC will provide an in-depth discussion of the issues facing the dairy industry, with educational discussions on many of the key challenges looming in 2013.

"We are excited to be heading to Indianapolis for this year’s meeting," said Jerry Kozak, President and CEO of NMPF, which hosts the conference. "The NDPC is an effective way to analyze the status of the dairy industry now, and discuss possible solutions for the future."

The meeting will include panels on some of the most important topics dairy producers are facing today. Immigration reform will be taking center stage in 2013, and dairy farmers will be fully engaged in that debate in Congress. Financing issues continue to challenge farmers, even though the general farm economy is improving, and there are still several questions and uncertainties about dairy lending.

Some dairy producers don’t realize the impact on the entire market chain that can result when they decide to sell or euthanize a dairy cow. Thus, one panel will address the importance of making informed decisions and ensuring that an animal is appropriate to market, is handled humanely throughout the process, and that the meat that results is a safe, quality product.

Protecting and promoting the integrity of U.S. dairy products has always been a challenge, and there are threats from non-dairy pretenders such as “soy milk” seeking to cash in on the appealing image of traditional dairy foods. In addition, European competitors are trying to prohibit the use of long-standing common names like parmesan and feta by American dairy producers and manufacturers.

A final panel will examine livestock manure and water quality issues, and look at innovative ways to turn manure management from a cost-center to a profit-center.

Individual speakers will also discuss the Dairy Security Act’s margin insurance program, technology and innovation on dairy farms, and the challenge of high and volatile feed prices.

The NDPC sessions will be preceded by an optional farm tour that will take place on Sunday, April 7. Participants will visit Fair Oaks Farms in Fair Oaks, IN.

Although the conference is geared primarily toward dairy producers, anyone with a stake in the dairy industry is invited to attend. This may include dairy cooperative executives and directors, processors, suppliers and consultants to the dairy industry, state and federal regulators, promotion organization executives, and academics.

Participants are encouraged to secure their farm tour spot, meeting registration, and hotel reservation at www.registration123.com/NMPF/2013NDPC. The hotel’s cut-off date for discounted room reservations is Thursday, March 14. After that date, the room rate will be confirmed on a space and rate-available basis.

For complete information about the NDPC, please visit www.nmpf.org/NDPC.

The U.S. has successfully negotiated a resolution with China on an import dairy certificate, a measure that provides certainty to U.S. dairy exporters in order to enhance U.S.-China dairy trade.

U.S. and Chinese government officials had been negotiating a new certificate for nearly three years, since China revised its requirements under the dairy certificate in the first part of 2010. Despite continued access to the Chinese market, the lack of an agreed-upon certificate impeded greater U.S. dairy exports, due to the uncertainty of whether the issue would ultimately be resolved.

“We commend the administration, as well as the Chinese government, for their conscientious and cooperative work on the dairy certificate over the past three years,” said Jerry Kozak, NMPF President and CEO. “The positive announcement of a new certificate lifts the uncertainty that hung over the Chinese market, thereby encouraging greater U.S. dairy sales.”

U.S. dairy sales to China in 2012 were an estimated $400 million. U.S. dairy exports to China have grown by more than 100% since 2010 and are expected to continue to grow to help meet the increasing demand for dairy products in that country.

The U.S. will begin issuing the new certificate immediately for product destined for China. Certificates issued by the U.S. prior to Jan. 18, 2013 will be valid through March 20, 2013 but not accepted by China after that date.

Members of Family Dairies USA, Manitowoc Milk Producers Cooperative, and Milwaukee Cooperative Milk Producers successfully voted on December 18, 2012 to merge the three cooperatives and create FarmFirst Dairy Cooperative, which began operating as a unified entity on January 1, 2013. The new cooperative’s headquarters is in Madison, WI.

FarmFirst will represent more than 5,000 farms in Wisconsin, Minnesota, South Dakota, Michigan, Iowa, Illinois, and Indiana through policy bargaining, dairy marketing services, laboratory testing opportunities, and industry promotion.

Dennis Donohue, general manager of Manitowoc Milk Producers Cooperative, will serve as the General Manager of FarmFirst. Donohue will continue to serve as the cooperative’s representative on the NMPF Board of Directors. Peter Kleiman, who owns and operates a 100-cow, 800-acre operation in Wilson, Mich., was elected president of the FarmFirst Dairy Cooperative board of directors. David Cooper, General Manager of Family Dairies USA, will serve as assistant general manager, and Jim Bird, General Manager of Milwaukee Cooperative Milk Producers, will assume the role of manager and director of lab services and special projects.

Under FarmFirst Dairy Cooperative, the combined member representation will be divided into a total of nine districts, based on membership within each district. The current directors from each of the three cooperatives will transition into the new organization, helping ensure consistency in leadership and membership voice.

Family Dairies USA Milk Program and the Fox Valley Quality Control Laboratory will continue to operate as subsidiaries of the new cooperative.

To learn more about FarmFirst Dairy Cooperative, please visit their website at www.farmfirstdairycooperative.com.

The 2013 Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) Export Assistance program got off to a record start in January, receiving 160 requests for assistance from 10 CWT member cooperatives. That total included 128 assistance requests for cheese, 28 for butter, and two each for whole milk powder (WMP) and anhydrous milkfat.

After doing a comprehensive economic review of the requests received each week, four were accepted by CWT at the level of support members had requested. For the remainder, CWT advised members that the level of assistance they asked for was too high, based on market fundamentals. CWT determined that assistance should not be necessary on two of the requests submitted.

Of the 154 counter offers CWT made to members, 66 cheese offers were accepted, bringing the total cheese sales assisted to 19.3 million pounds. Twenty butter offers were accepted, taking total sales to 9.8 million pounds, and two WMP offers totaling 88,185 pounds were accepted. This was the equivalent of 391 million pounds of milk, or the same as the annual production of 18,600 cows.

The product was destined for 23 countries on six continents and will be delivered from January through July.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid reintroduced into the Senate the same farm bill that previously passed the full Senate last summer, as a signal that the chamber plans to move aggressively on passing a new farm bill in 2013.

The 2013 farm bill has been formally designated as S. 10, making it part of a short list of priority pieces of legislation awaiting action in the Senate. NMPF applauded Reid’s decision, saying that “it recognizes that the dairy policy reforms contained in the bill, along with other provisions in the measure, passed with overwhelming, bipartisan support last summer. The bill’s Dairy Security Act will give farmers a better safety net while reducing taxpayer costs at a time when Congress is searching for ways to trim federal spending,” said Jerry Kozak, President and CEO of NMPF.

“We look forward to working with Senator Reid, as well as with Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and new ranking minority member Sen. Thad Cochran (R-MS), as the Committee updates the Farm Bill in the coming weeks. We will continue our bipartisan efforts in both the Senate and House to get a five-year farm bill passed that provide our producers the security and stability they need.”

Last week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) officially announced the terms for the Milk Income Loss Contract (MILC) program extension, as included in the fiscal cliff bill passed on January 1, 2013. The payment rate for September 2012 milk production is $0.59 per hundredweight, the last month in Fiscal Year 2012. The payment rate for October 2012 is approximately $0.02 per hundredweight, and there is no payment for November 2012.

Before the October MILC payment can be issued, dairy farmers must complete a new Average Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) form for 2013. The new form, CCC-933 Average Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) Certification and Consent to Disclosure of Tax Information, must be completed by producers before they can receive payments for a variety of programs administered by FSA and USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service. The AGI limit for dairy is $500,000 for off-farm income. There is no AGI limit for on-farm income.

Dairy operations may select a production start month in FY 2013 other than October 2012. If they do, they must visit their local FSA office between February 1 and February 28, 2013, also known as a relief period.

For more information about MILC updates, please visit the USDA website. Information is also posted on the NMPF website, including NMPF’s own approximate projections for possible payments.

When the dust settles after each presidential election, political analysts often trip over themselves trying to figure out the meaning of the choices voters made, in both local and national campaigns. It’s debatable as to whether there were many clear take-aways from the recent 2012 election, but if anything obvious emerged, it was a need to address the politics and policy of the nation’s immigration laws.

After the election outcome in several states turned on the proportion of Latino voters giving a margin of victory to President Obama, Republican political strategists have recognized that the party’s implacable opposition to a reasonable reform of immigration policies – one that moves beyond just “enforcement only” – is the politically prudent path. Meanwhile, Democrats also recognize the importance of this issue to the growing Hispanic population in America. Not only is fixing this contentious issue good politics, it also will help shore up the economics of importance business sectors, ranging from construction and hospitality, to agriculture – especially dairy farming.

As a result of this emerging consensus on the need to act, leaders of both parties, including President Obama himself, have pledged in the past month to focus on a comprehensive approach to immigration reform. This shift in tone and outlook is welcome news for America’s dairy farmers, who, along with many other agricultural employers, have been pushing for nearly a decade for labor policy reforms that will favorably affect their current and future workforce.

The National Milk Producers Federation is one of these farm groups, who have recently formed a new alliance, the Agriculture Workforce Coalition (AWC), to marshal the resources of 11 national and regional organizations dedicated to reforming immigration policy. The AWC membership has forged a consensus proposal to make badly-need changes in laws affecting the farm sector, as part of any large immigration reform package that moves this year through Congress.

The AWC proposal includes both an opportunity for adjustment in legal status to be earned by current agricultural employees who presently lack such status, and a program to ensure an adequate farm workforce in the future. Also, unlike current programs such as the H-2A visa, the AWC proposal is meant to ensure that all types of food producers—including both those with seasonal labor needs and ones with year-round labor needs (i.e., dairy farmers) —have access to the workforce they need to remain productive and competitive.

It’s one of the ironies of the national economy in the past five years that, even while the unemployment rate has remained stubbornly high, business owners in some areas have trouble recruiting a suitable labor force. The fact is that farmers and ranchers have long experienced difficulty in obtaining workers, as the jobs they offer are physically demanding and conducted year-round in all types of weather. To most U.S. residents seeking employment, these conditions, which are typical of dairy farms, are not attractive.

A number of studies document this fact, including one conducted in 2009 by NMPF and Texas A&M University, which found that U.S. dairies employed 138,000 full-time equivalent workers, of which 57,000, or 41%, were foreigners. The NMPF survey found that if federal labor policies were to result in the loss of just half of those 57,000 workers, an additional 66,000 workers would also be lost, due to the closure of some dairy farms, and the resulting multiplier effect of fewer jobs in grain and fertilizer production and sales, veterinary services, milk hauling, and related agricultural service jobs. This would produce an economic loss of $11 billion.

Recognizing the need to achieve a once-in-a-generation public policy reform, and actually getting it done, are two very different things. The 2012 farm bill is a good example of how the best intentions can be thwarted at the last minute by the forces of inertia. But in addition to pushing again on the farm bill in 2013, NMPF views the immigration policy reform opportunity as incredibly necessary, and increasingly likely.

From Jerry Kozak, President and CEO of NMPF:

“Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s decision to put the farm bill near the top of the list of things to do in 2013 is good news for America’s dairy farmers, who need leaders in the Senate and House to renew their push this year for a better farm bill.

“Senator Reid yesterday introduced the 2013 farm bill as S. 10, making it part of a short list of priority pieces of legislation for action in the Senate. Reid’s decision recognizes that the dairy policy reforms contained in the bill, along with other provisions in the measure, passed with overwhelming, bipartisan support last summer. The bill’s Dairy Security Act will give farmers a better safety net while reducing taxpayer costs at a time when Congress is searching for ways to trim federal spending.

“We look forward to working with Senator Reid, as well as with Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and new ranking minority member Sen. Thad Cochran (R-MS), as the Committee updates the Farm Bill in the coming weeks. We will continue our bipartisan efforts in both the Senate and House to get a five-year farm bill passed that provides our producers the security and stability they need.”

 

The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF), based in Arlington, VA, develops and carries out policies that advance the well being of dairy producers and the cooperatives they own. The members of NMPF’s 30 cooperatives produce the majority of the U.S. milk supply, making NMPF the voice of more than 32,000 dairy producers on Capitol Hill and with government agencies.

Farm Groups Coordinating Efforts to Capitalize on Opportunity to Reform Immigration Policies

ARLINGTON, VA – The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) has joined a broad cross-section of organizations representing agricultural employers in a collective effort to reform federal immigration policies.

NMPF said today it is one of the founding members of the Agriculture Workforce Coalition (AWC). AWC’s goal is to seek legislation that ensures America’s farms, ranches and other agricultural operations have access to a stable and skilled workforce – an effort in which NMPF has been engaged for much of the past decade.

“After seven years of hard but fruitless work on this issue, dairy farmers have a rare opportunity in 2013 to achieve a comprehensive solution to the immigration policy challenge. We see our participation in this coalition as the best chance to shape federal policies that will ensure farm employers’ continued access to both existing and future dairy workers,” said Jerry Kozak, President and CEO of NMPF.

The AWC has been formed to move beyond previous immigration reform efforts. In particular, the Coalition, recognizing that existing programs and previous proposals have proved unworkable, is putting forward a framework that includes both an earned adjustment in status for current experienced farm workers, and a program to ensure that producers continue to have access to a workforce as current agricultural employees move on to other jobs.

A key to the framework proposed by AWC will be ensuring that it meets the needs of all of agriculture—both those employers with seasonal labor needs and those who provide year-round employment opportunities, such as dairy farms.

“We have tried to retrofit the H2A visa program for dairy farmers, but that effort was a more limited approach. Now, we have the opportunity to do something bigger and comprehensive, with a unique coalition that together will be able to do more than each of our groups alone could do,” said Jaime Castaneda, Senior Vice President of Strategic Initiatives & Trade Policy for NMPF.

American agriculture as we know it would not be possible without the contributions of more than 1.5 million hired workers each year. Beyond the farm gate, each of these workers supports two to three full-time jobs in the food processing, transportation, farm equipment, marketing, retail and other sectors. Ensuring that farmers, ranchers and growers have access to the workers they need to maintain their productivity and competitiveness will help support continued growth in employment across the economy and in areas far removed from farm country.

Additional information on the AWC can be found on its website: www.agworkforcecoalition.org.

 

About the Agriculture Workforce Coalition
The Agriculture Workforce Coalition (AWC) brings together organizations representing the diverse needs of agricultural employers across the country. AWC serves as the unified voice of agriculture in the effort to ensure that America’s farmers, ranchers and growers have access to a stable and secure workforce.

To help achieve this goal, the AWC has developed a framework that presents a viable solution to agriculture’s labor needs. The proposal includes both an earned adjustment in status for current agricultural employees who presently lack legal status and a program to ensure an adequate farm workforce in the future. Also, unlike current programs such as H2A, the AWC proposal is meant to ensure that all types of producers—including both those with seasonal labor needs and ones with year-round labor needs—have access to the workforce they need to remain productive and competitive.

 

Founding members of AWC:
American Farm Bureau Federation
American Nursery & Landscape Association
Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association
National Council of Agricultural Employers
National Council of Farmer Cooperatives
National Milk Producers Federation
USA Farmers
U.S. Apple Association
United Fresh Produce Association
Western Growers Association
Western United Dairymen

 

Coalition partners:
Agriculture Coalition for Immigration Reform

 

The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF), based in Arlington, VA, develops and carries out policies that advance the well being of dairy producers and the cooperatives they own. The members of NMPF’s 30 cooperatives produce the majority of the U.S. milk supply, making NMPF the voice of more than 32,000 dairy producers on Capitol Hill and with government agencies.

In recognition of their commitment to the dairy industry, managing their farm for future generations, and being active in their local community, Blue Diamond Dairy was named Minnesota’s 2012 Producer of the Year by the Minnesota Milk Producers Association.

Located in Melrose, MN, Blue Diamond Dairy is operated by Glen and Sadie Frericks, who served as officers on NMPF’s 2012 Young Cooperator (YC) Advisory Council, where they represented NMPF member cooperative Land O’Lakes. The Frericks milk 75 cows and own a small flock of laying hens, as well as an assortment of other farms animals. The operation is called a “hybrid dairy” because the herd lives and grazes outside in the warm months and moves inside during the freezing months, eating mixed ration.

“We are proud of the initiative and leadership that Glen and Sadie have shown in all aspects of their life,” commented NMPF President & CEO Jerry Kozak. “They are an excellent example of the difference young producers can make in the industry, and we hope that they will continue to lead into the future.”

To learn more about life on Blue Diamond Dairy, visit their blog. A video of their farm also helps tell the story of the family for whom dairying has become a passion and lifestyle.

NMPF is now accepting applications for its National Dairy Leadership Scholarship Program for academic year 2013-2014.

Each year, NMPF awards scholarships to outstanding graduate students (enrolled in Master’s or Ph.D. programs) who are actively pursuing dairy-related fields of research that are of immediate interest to NMPF member cooperatives and the U.S. dairy industry at large.

Graduate students pursuing research of direct benefit to milk marketing cooperatives and dairy producers are encouraged to submit an application (applicants do not need to be members of NMPF to qualify). The top scholarship applicant will be awarded the Hintz Memorial Scholarship, which was created in 2005 in honor of the late Cass-Clay Creamery Board Chairman Murray Hintz who was instrumental in establishing NMPF’s scholarship program.

Recommended fields of study include but are not limited to Agriculture Communications and Journalism, Animal Health, Animal and/or Human Nutrition, Bovine Genetics, Dairy Products Processing, Dairy Science, Economics, Environmental Science, Food Science, Food Safety, Herd Management, and Marketing and Price Analysis.

Applications must be received no later than Friday, May 3, 2013. For an application or more information, please visit the NMPF website or call the NMPF office at 703-243-6111.