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Lawmakers seek additional dairy assistance

Several Washington D.C. lawmakers are pushing for additional dairy producer assistance.  Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy led 56 Congressmen and Senators in asking the Office of Management and Budget to release safety net funds for dairy producers struggling with low milk prices.

An October 13^th letter to OMB Director Shaun Donovan cites the 40% drop in milk prices since 2014 and the overall impact on rural economies as the reason for additional aid.  The letter didn’t seek specific actions, but simply asked Donovan to utilize the dollars to do whatever he can to “support the Secretary of Agriculture in this work.

Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack has already pledged 20-million dollars in agency dollars and another 20-million in Section 32 dollars to buy surplus cheese.

In separate action, Senator Jeanne Shaheen from New Hampshire penned a separate letter October 13th with support from 17 Senate colleagues urging the Senate Appropriates Committee to consider critical assistance for dairy farmers in appropriations for fiscal year 2017, saying producers can’t wait for the new farm bill to correct safety net programs including the dairy Margin Protection Program, which she believes needs additional work.  Shaheen is seeking 73-million in farmer premiums to be refunded and three million dollars immediately for the National Agricultural Statistics Service to conduct a survey of average feed costs by state so the data is done in time to work on the next farm bill.