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Conaway, Peterson hope to lift LGM-Dairy cap before new year

The House Ag Committee Chairman is hoping to bring some help to dairy producers in the upcoming government spending resolution.  Texas Republican Mike Conaway told the American Dairy Coalition Board of Directors Wednesday that he and Democrat Collin Peterson of Minnesota will try again to pass what the Senate scuttled last April.  “In the year-end spending next week, I hope to include in that a lifting of that cap on LGM so that that program does, in fact, work better for producers of all sizes.”

Conaway told the ADC board his committee has done its work and is ready to tackle the 2018 farm bill, including changes to the dairy Margin Protection Program.  “In the farm bill itself, we hope to work some magic with the Margin Protection Program.  That has been a consistent thing at every hearing, every field listening session, everywhere we go, we’ve heard that.”

Conaway anticipates farm bill discussions to begin in late January or early February.  He also said he was to meet later Wednesday to compare notes with Senate Ag Committee Chairman Pat Roberts.

Conaway also told the ADC board members he likes the Agricultural Guestworkers H2-C proposal by Representative Bob Goodlatte, and that getting all of the dairy sector united on proposals before farm bill debate would be beneficial.