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NMPF’s Doud Urges More Dairy Trade Opportunities Before Subcommittee

Posted on by Theresa Sweeney

Gregg Doud, president and CEO of the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF), told the House Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee today that expanding market access and enforcing existing trade agreements to America’s dairy producers, workers and exporters is of paramount importance.

“To keep up with our competitors from Europe and New Zealand, U.S. dairy exporters need new trade deals that cut tariffs and tackle nontariff trade barriers,” Doud said in his written testimony. “Whether the U.S. government prioritizes the enforcement the trade agreements it has negotiated and addresses trade barriers targeting U.S. exports will determine whether American farmers and workers will actually benefit from the market access that has and will be promised.”

The U.S. dairy industry last year exported close to $8.3 billion in dairy products overseas, supporting thousands of jobs across the country, despite competing against global counterparts who benefit from more recent and expansive trade agreements. Doud highlighted the critical role of existing U.S. trade agreements and called on Congress and the Trump Administration to pursue and enforce trade policies that empower the U.S dairy industry to grow its business internationally.

Doud also detailed specific agreements for the U.S. government to prioritize greater enforcement, including:

  • Fixing the United States’ deeply imbalanced agricultural trade relationship with the European Union.
  • Ensuring Canada holds up its end of the bargain on dairy in USMCA by fixing both the export issues into Canada and the excessive offloading of artificially low-price Canadian dairy protein into the U.S. and global markets.
  • Following through with China on increasing its purchases of U.S. dairy products, ensuring timely facility listing updates, and providing protection for common names.
  • Resolving India’s longstanding high tariffs and unscientific certification requirements.

“Our competitors are not slowing down,” Doud said. “They are targeting highly valuable and important dairy markets, with the backing of their governments’ proactive trade agendas. We are hopeful that the U.S. government will take this as a challenge to stand up for U.S. dairy and U.S. agriculture. Our farmers deserve a level playing field and are counting on their government to deliver.”

Milk-Drinking is Having a Moment

Posted on by Rachel Ravencraft

The good news keeps coming for fluid milk.

According to year-end USDA data, fluid milk consumption, in a slow decline for the past five decades, increased in 2024. The 0.6% increase to 42.98 billion pounds is the first year-over-year gain since 2009. And unlike that year, it didn’t happen because low prices and a bad dairy economy prompted grocery stores to practically give it away. Milk prices are relatively high these days, and people are drinking more milk because… well, because they want to.

And the story isn’t just that they’re drinking more milk. It’s also about why they’re drinking milk, as well as what kind of milk they’re drinking.

Source: USDA. Note: Whole milk total includes flavored varieties. Flavored Reduced-Fat includes 2%, 1% and skim. Other Milk includes buttermilk. All categories include both conventional and organic milk.

Driving much consumer interest in real milk consumption is the awareness that it’s a protein powerhouse. And that’s only part of the unique package of essential nutrients milk has to offer that leaves over-engineered, nutritionally inferior plant-based substitutes in the dust. (Not to mention their many weird ingredients.)

Fluid milk’s gains are built on whole milk, also known as “the milk that tastes most like milk.” Not to begrudge lower-fat varieties — dairy farmers support whatever milk you choose, as long as it’s actual milk and not one of the misnamed beverages — but whole milk’s popularity shows just how intrinsically tasty dairy is, as well as how much more popular milk could be if it, say, were offered on a school lunch menu to children who drink it at home.

The increase also accentuates the lie of the plant-based imposters, which fell in sales for the third straight year. After years of their misinformation, painting their gains as inevitable, milk isn’t just getting back its market share — it’s adding to its already overwhelming preference in the marketplace. And no amount of over-processing of nut-of-the-moment re-engineering is going to change that.

And with that, it’s time for government policy to match consumer reality. The Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act (which you can support here) would bring whole and 2% back to schools, giving schoolkids access to the same popular, healthy varieties they drink at home. And FDA’s enforcement of its own rules on milk’s Standard of Identity (or congressional passage of the Dairy PRIDE Act), would do a lot to clear up consumer confusion over nutrition in the marketplace.

Milk has a lot of momentum heading into the year — which, really, just puts it in the same position as the rest of dairy, the popularity of which remains the highest it’s been since the 1950s. So really — literally — raise a glass to this today. Because the number of glasses being raised is only growing.

 

Nevada Variant shows H5N1 testing at work

Posted on by Alan Bjerga

By Dr. Jamie Jonker, Chief Science Officer, National Milk Producers Federation

Highly pathogenic avian influenza. H5N1. Bird flu. Regardless of what you may call it, this virus has posed significant challenges to dairy farmers over the past year.

Since the first confirmed case of the H5N1 virus in dairy cattle in Texas last March 25, as of February 7, there have been 959 confirmed dairy herds across 16 states. On February 5, USDA announced a new variant of H5N1 in a herd in Nevada. That made one thing even clearer than before: As the virus evolves, so too must we.

The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) has worked closely with federal and state partners, along with industry partners, to share updates and guidance. National Dairy FARM Biosecurity Program resources have provided farms with biosecurity plan templates and educational materials on the best management practices to prevent disease introduction and spread. NMPF also secured grant funding from the National Animal Disease Preparedness and Response Program to expand the FARM Biosecurity Program and help even more producers and state officials to be prepared in an infectious disease outbreak.

NMPF also participates in weekly and daily stand-up calls with various working groups to help shape policies from the Food and Drug Administration and USDA regarding H5N1 in dairy cattle and dairy products. In December, USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service announced its National Milk Testing Strategy, a surveillance effort aimed at better tracking herd status in states across the country. Testing under the National Milk Testing Strategy began in six states: California, Colorado, Michigan, Mississippi, Oregon, and Pennsylvania. More states joined in the month following the strategy’s launch, increasing the total to 40 states.

The National Milk Testing Strategy is what led the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) National Veterinary Services Laboratories toward confirming the new variant in Nevada. This genotype, D1.1, is different from genotype B3.13, which had been found in dairy cows until now. USDA APHIS and the Nevada Department of Agriculture are conducting additional on-farm investigation and testing and gathering more epidemiological information to better understand the effects of the new genotype and to limit further disease spread.

Much about the H5N1 virus remains unknown — how it spreads, how it evolves, how it affects cows long-term, and what it all means for humans. While a new variant is concerning, its detection shows that the systems in place for testing and identifying the virus in dairy cows are working as intended. Continued dedication to information sharing among the scientific community, state and federal officials, and everyone in the dairy supply chain is the only way forward.

This column originally appeared in Hoard’s Dairyman Intel on Feb. 13, 2025.

Science Makes the Case for Whole Milk, Teicholz Says

Posted on by Rachel Ravencraft

You don’t have to be part of the dairy sector to see how important whole milk is for children, best-selling author Nina Teicholz, Ph.D., said in the latest Dairy Defined Podcast.

That’s because nutrition science makes a compelling case for full-fat milk, underscoring the importance of getting whole milk back in schools, the goal of the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act, she said.

Children who drink whole milk tend to be healthier, she said. “You need the fat in the milk to digest the vitamins that are in the milk, those are fat soluble vitamins. “I’m not a dairy advocate, but it turns out that the science supports the position of those of people in the industry who would prefer to see whole milk back in schools.”

Teicholz, author of “The Big Fat Surprise: Why Butter, Meat and Cheese Belong in a Healthy Diet,” also discussed how food policy might be shaken up by Robert F. Kennedy Jr’s. confirmation as Health and Human Services Secretary.

NMPF has a call to action supporting the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act for listeners who want to get involved, here. For more of the Dairy Defined podcast, you can find and subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music under the podcast name “Dairy Defined.”

NMPF’s Bleiberg Offers Update on House Legislation to Increase School Milk Choices

Posted on by Chris Galen

NMPF’s executive vice president Paul Bleiberg tells the listeners of Dairy Radio Now about the passage this week by the House Education and Workforce Committee of new legislation that would increase the range of milk options available to school children. The Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act would give schools the option of serving 2% and whole milk once again.  The bill is now expected to move to the full House for further consideration.

NMPF Statement on Bipartisan Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act

Posted on by Rachel Ravencraft

From NMPF President & CEO Gregg Doud:

“NMPF commends House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson, R-PA, and Rep. Kim Schrier, D-WA, for continuing to lead their bipartisan Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act to help increase kids’ access to milk’s vital nutrients.

“The Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee reaffirmed in its Scientific Report last December that most kids and adolescents are not meeting daily dairy intake recommendations. Good nutrition is a cornerstone of children’s health and development, and milk plays an unparalleled role in providing the nutrients kids need to grow and thrive. But kids take more milk, and drink more milk, in school when they have nutrient-dense options they like. A growing body of scientific evidence shows that dairy foods at all fat levels have a neutral or positive effect on health outcomes, ranging from lower prevalence of obesity and diabetes to reduced heart disease risk and healthy cholesterol levels.

“We are grateful to the House Education and the Workforce Committee for approving the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act today on a bipartisan vote. It’s a critical step toward finally expanding the popular, healthy milk options schools can serve to improve student nutrition.”

Diving in on Dairy’s Legislative Agenda

Posted on by Alan Bjerga
By Paul Bleiberg, Executive Vice President, Government Relations, National Milk Producers Federation
President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance have now taken their oaths of office, and the 119th Congress has been seated. While the opening weeks of a new Congress and presidency focus on nominations and organization, these important housekeeping processes will soon give way to a busy legislative session.

We know dairy is ready for an action-packed 2025. National Milk Producers Federation’s (NMPF) major legislative goals begins with passage of a five-year farm bill, but what makes up that bill for dairy is just as important.

First, enabling schools to offer whole and reduced-fat milk is paramount. Milk provides 13 essential nutrients and is the top source of calcium, potassium, phosphorus, and vitamin D for children ages 2 to 18. However, just last month, the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee’s Scientific Report reaffirmed that 88% of all Americans are under consuming dairy. The bipartisan Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act, recently reintroduced in Congress, provides the solution. This bill would allow, but not require, schools to serve all varieties of milk, including whole and reduced-fat milk. A growing body of evidence demonstrates that dairy foods at all fat levels have a neutral or positive effect on health outcomes. NMPF strongly supports swift passage of this measure to solve a critical child nutrition problem.

This problem is made clearer by data. Accurate, transparent data drives strong public policymaking. And that brings up another NMPF policy priority: remedying the persistent lack of accurate data when it comes to the costs of manufacturing raw milk into processed dairy products, which denies stakeholders an essential tool for assessing how milk pricing formulas ought to be structured.

A fix lies in the Fair Milk Pricing for Farmers Act, a bipartisan bill to require USDA to conduct mandatory dairy manufacturing cost surveys every two years. This will equip all voices in the dairy industry with better data to help drive future dairy pricing conversations.

Ongoing discussions on dairy pricing are vital for an industry that continues to innovate and advance. But milk pricing isn’t the only area where innovation is necessary. On the farm, U.S. dairy farmers benefit from safe and effective feed ingredients that can boost productivity in their herds and support environmental stewardship. However, the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) current outdated review process for these ingredients hinders their timely approval and puts U.S. dairy farmers at a disadvantage with their global competitors. NMPF supports the bipartisan Innovative FEED Act, first introduced in 2023, to create a safe but expeditious process for FDA to review these products to help farmers make important gains and stay competitive.

These are just a handful of the major legislative efforts NMPF seeks to advance. Each of these bipartisan bills made headway last year as the House and Senate began their respective farm bill processes. With the new Congress getting ready to produce results, dairy stands ready to get these important priorities signed into law.

r of choice.

This column originally appeared in Hoard’s Dairyman Intel on Feb. 6, 2025.

NMPF Welcomes New Staff

Posted on by Theresa Sweeney

NMPF has started the new year with two new staff members playing crucial roles in the organization.

Ashley Childs is joining the NMPF team as its new Manager of Finance and Administration, overseeing billing and payment functions such as Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, and contract billing.

Childs brings nearly a decade of experience in the hospitality industry. She spent the past eight years at George Washington’s Mount Vernon as the Assistant Director of Food and Beverage, where she managed $8 million in annual revenue and oversaw 25 staff. She was critical in negotiating, contracting, and billing $2 million in banquets annually, reconciling these funds in the point-of-sale system, and collaborating with the accounting team to resolve discrepancies and align expenses with budgets.

Originally from Pennsylvania, Childs holds a degree in Tourism and Hospitality from Temple University, with a focus on Operations.

Pat Vincent joined NMPF as its Director of Economic Policy and Market Research late in 2024. He provides valuable economic insights and research, with a particular focus on the U.S. dairy markets, offering commentary on farm economics, consumer dairy demand, and macroeconomic conditions affecting the U.S. dairy industry.

Prior to NMPF, Pat Vincent was the Senior Global Economics Analyst from General Mills, where he oversaw global agriculture commodities.

He holds a degree in Economics and an MBA from the University of Denver. With more than a decade of experience in market analysis and economic research, Pat brings a wealth of expertise to NMPF. Accompanying him in Virginia is his cheerful dog, Roy, a young Sheltie.

Port Labor Strife Resolution Welcomed

Posted on by Theresa Sweeney

Following engagement from NMPF and USDEC with the Biden Administration and the then-incoming Trump team, the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and United States Maritime Alliance reached a tentative six-year contract on Jan. 8 for the United States’ East and Gulf Coast ports, avoiding a damaging strike for dairy exporters.

While the agreement is still pending ILA ratification, the deal averted a strike that was authorized to begin on Jan. 15.

The agreement came after NMPF, USDEC, and more than 50 additional leading U.S. agriculture organizations sent letters to President Biden and then President-elect Trump on Dec. 19, calling for the federal government to help ensure a lasting resolution to the labor negotiations that had reached a stalemate.

In the letters, NMPF and the co-signers detailed the extensive damage that resulted from the previous strike, which lasted from Oct. 1-3. Initially, shipments were paused to prevent a backlog and then proceeded at a below average pace once the ILA agreed to extend their existing contract until Jan. 15, 2025. An estimated $13.5 million in U.S. dairy exports were affected, with members reporting cancelled sales and costly reroutes due to the disruptions.

NMPF engaged with USDA leading up to the contract deadline in January, sharing dairy exporter needs and urging the administration to avoid any potential port labor strikes.