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Michigan Farm Bureau makes policy updates

 

Michigan Farm Bureau delegates plan to emphasize the importance of strong dairy policy at the upcoming American Farm Bureau Federation annual meeting next month.

Michigan Farm Bureau state policy development chairman Andy Hagenow tells Brownfield dairy is Michigan’s largest segment of the agricultural industry and delegates want to strengthen policy in the 2018 Farm Bill.  “The dairy issue will probably be talked about a lot at our AFBF meeting.  There’s quite a disparity between what folks are asking for and what how they think it should be resolved.”  Michigan delegates at the recent Farm Bureau state annual meeting voted to support further development and availability of the new Dairy Revenue Protection insurance product and allow producers to use it in conjunction with the Margin Protection Program (MPP) and Livestock Gross Margin.

Hagenow says more than 800 resolutions were brought to this year’s meeting from county farm bureaus across the state.  “Some of the state issues that have been well debated have been our policy on TB (bovine tuberculosis), elections, animal care and our state energy policy.”

More than 100 policies were approved during the event which will be used to guide the organization in 2018.

AUDIO: Interview with Andy Hagenow at Michigan Farm Bureau state annual meeting in Grand Rapids