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Wisconsin Farmers Union supports Canadian-style dairy supply management

President Darrin Von Ruden addresses Wisconsin Farmers Union convention

Wisconsin’s Farmers Union leaders are looking for a way to create a dairy supply management system similar to what Canada is using.

Wisconsin Farmers Union President Darrin Von Ruden says, “There’s a lot of myths and false-truths that we’re hearing about their system.  You know, the Canadian farmers that I’ve talked to have all been very happy with that program, so why aren’t we trying to see if we can adopt something similar, or you know, bring something in that’s going to get the industry to work together rather than having producers pitted against processors.”

Von Ruden tells Brownfield that in addition to the break-out session with Dairy Farmers of Ontario Vice President Murray Sherk held during the Farmers Union State Convention over the weekend, he’s arranging for a series of Wisconsin information meetings.  “We know we’re going to get at least one and we’re hoping to get two dairy farmers to come down from Canada on the week of March 12th, and we’re going to have six meetings around the state.”

The Wisconsin Farmers Union President says the dates and locations have not been set yet.

Von Ruden tells Brownfield Farmers Union has supported a supply management system at the state and national level for as long as he can remember, and he believes it would bring stability to a producer’s milk check.

The Canadian system has been widely criticized by U.S. dairy groups.  The National Milk Producers Federation and the U.S. Dairy Export Council say Canada is creating trade barriers and flooding the world market with underpriced milk powder.

  • You might want to change the headline, the Farm Bureau and Farmers Union are two very different organizations.

    • They are different organizations and we know it. Larry was at Wisconsin Farmers Union Convention and did this story. It happens to the best of us! But hey, we just saw that the President of American Farm Bureau Federation is one of the speakers at the National Farmers Union Convention coming up in March!

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