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2018 Farm Bill time to correct MPP

A dairy farmer says the Margin Protection Program has promise, but in its current form it’s failed the dairy industry.

Ken Nobis, president of the Michigan Milk Producers Association, testified during the latest Senate Ag Committee farm bill hearing on behalf of the National Milk Producers Federation. He says MPP needs to more accurately reflect the cost of production for dairy farmers.  “I want to stress that dairy farmers are not asking for a program that guarantees a profit or incentivizes excess production.  All we are asking for is a program that provides a meaningful safety net for dairy farmers when they need it most.”

He says updates made to the program by the Senate Appropriations Committee in its mark up of a bill for the 2018 fiscal year are a step in the right direction, but more needs to be done to make the program more attractive to dairy farmers.  “The inclusion of a crop insurance type program for dairy is very important to us also, it’s something we don’t have available to us today.”

He says as the farm economy continues to decline, having a strong safety net that works becomes increasingly important for farmers to stay in business.

Nobis also stressed the importance of trade, farm labor, environmental sustainability and including dairy in child nutrition standards in the next farm bill.

AUDIO: Ken Nobis testifies before Senate Ag Committee