MDC on the Hill: Fly-in Yields Results

Coalition Asks FDA to Reject Proposal Regarding Imitation Dairy

The Midwest Dairy Coalition forwarded a letter to the FDA, asking it to reject a proposal that would jeopardize dairy standards of identity. Read the letter here.

Midwest Dairy Coalition has its Day on the Hill

On April 3-4, 2017, dairy cooperative leaders from the Upper Midwest flew to Washington D.C., as part of the Midwest Dairy Coalition Day on the Hill to discuss pressing dairy policy concerns with Members of Congress and their staffs.  In addition to meeting with House and Senate members from key Upper Midwestern states, the group also met with the leaders of the House and Senate Agriculture Committees. 

Read more here.

Coalition Asks FDA to Reject Proposal Regarding Imitation Dairy

The Midwest Dairy Coalition forwarded a letter to the FDA, asking it to reject a proposal that would jeopardize dairy standards of identity. Read the letter here.

Bipartisan Budget Act Makes Substantial Program Changes

Washington, D.C., April 3, 2018 – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue is encouraging dairy producers to consider enrolling in the new and improved Margin Protection Program for Dairy (MPP-Dairy), which will provide better protections for dairy producers from shifting milk and feed prices. With changes authorized under the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) has set the enrollment period to run from April 9, 2018 to June 1, 2018.

"We recognize the financial hardships many of our nation’s dairy producers are experiencing right now. Folks are losing their contracts and they are getting anxious about getting their bills paid while they watch their milk check come in lower and lower each month. The Bipartisan Budget Act provided some much-needed incentives for dairy producers to make cost-effective decisions to strengthen their farms, mitigate risk, and conserve their natural resources,” said Secretary Perdue. “This includes our support of America’s dairy farms. We encourage dairy producers to review the provisions of the updated program, which Congress shaped with their feedback. Those changes are now in effect, and I’d ask any producers who are interested to contact their local USDA service centers.”

Coalition Asks USDA for  Additional Risk Management Options for Dairy

The Midwest Dairy Coalition sent a letter to USDA Secretary Perdue, calling for actions to provide additional risk management options for dairy farmers. Read the letter here.

USDA Reopens enrollment for Improved Dairy Safety Net tool

Coalition Urges Leadership Not to Make Additional Cuts to Agriculture 

The Midwest Dairy Coalition joined others in the industry in signing a joint letter to House and Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee leaders. Find details here.

Latest Updates

Opposition to discriminatory pricing policies

Historically, federal dairy policy has penalized regions like the Upper Midwest by establishing policies that discriminate against manufactured dairy products, such as cheese, that are the mainstay of our region's dairy industry.

The Coalition has built a long history of working to end such discrimination, and promote policies that provide benefits to producers without regard to the end use of milk..

Promoting National Approaches to Dairy Policy

The Coalition has been instrumental in the creation of national dairy policies that effectively provide a counter-cyclical safety net for dairy producers in all regions. The Coalition's approach to policy has been extremely helpful to rural economies of dairy-dependent Upper Midwestern states.

Giving a Voice to Producers