Priority Issue 2008:

Dairy

We support additional and comprehensive measures to help improve the profitability of New York dairy farmers, and increase and enhance the marketability of New York dairy products.

The dairy industry in New York is subject to continual and severe fluctuations of farm milk prices.  The institutionalized nature of these fluctuations, and the serious strain placed on farm families during downward milk price cycles, show the need for a regional dairy policy and the development of a meaningful and workable safety net for our producers. Development of a regional pricing of Class I milk makes sense. Farmers producing milk in areas of high Class I utilization such as in New York State often have higher production input costs including taxes, land values, labor, and feed, and should be able to take advantage of producing for the higher Class I utilization market that the Northeast region offers.

We support regulatory action to insure that labels on milk and dairy products do not misrepresent or mislead consumers regarding the health, safety or nutrition of milk and dairy product,  and we oppose labeling that infer milk that contains hormones, or is from cows receiving rbST is somehow less safe, nutritious or healthy than regular milk.

We support actively monitoring the EPA’s Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations
(CAFO), and air quality regulations to make sure that any developed regulations do not negatively impact New York farms.

Recommendations:

·           Continue to monitor the Farm Bill development as it pertains to the dairy industry.

·           Support labeling of milk and dairy products that do not misrepresent or mislead the consumer regarding the health, safety or nutrition of milk and dairy products.  Oppose labeling that infers that milk from cows receiving rbST is somehow less safe, nutritious or healthy than regular milk.

·           Oppose banning the use of existing or new technologies that have been approved and deemed safe for use by appropriate regulating authorities.

·           Continue to work for more equitable, size-neutral dairy programs including MILC.

·           Actively monitor the EPA’s Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations and emerging air emissions regulations to ensure that any developed regulations by the EPA do not negatively impact New York farms.

• Support the concepts of a pricing system that takes into account regional differences in milk pricing in an effort to secure more equitable Class I pricing for dairy farm families in New York.