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The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) has prevented the USDA from allowing the private auction of nonfat dry milk powder at prices below the level specified in the farm bill. The USDA, facing legal action brought by the NMPF, agreed to not submit any of the product for auction. The USDA and The Seam, a private marketing entity, entered into a court-ordered agreement not to hold any milk powder auctions until the NMPF's full complaint and motion can be heard on Jan. 22.
At issue was a dairy product price support program in the farm bill that said the USDA cannot sell nonfat dry milk stocks at less than 110 percent of the price at which it purchased the product. Under this rule, the USDA is forbidden to sell milk powder back to the market at less than 88 cents a pound, to keep prices from being further driven down. Since the price received by dairy farmers reflects commercial dairy product prices, the auction would have resulted in a reduction in dairy producers’ incomes. |
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By Megan Parker
Regional Editor - The Country Today
SPARTA - Hope Laufenberg noticed something missing at the first BADGER VAC 45 sale: bellering. "When we got here this morning, the barn was quiet. You could hold a conversation," said Ms. Laufenberg of Alma Center. She's president of Western Wisconsin Beef Producers, which organized the sale. BADGER VAC 45 stands for Building Added Demand and Generating Enhanced Revenue with Value-Added Cattle weaned 45-plus days. It's a feeder-calf preconditioning program designed earlier this year by the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. The first BADGER VAC 45 sale was Nov. 28 at Equity Cooperative's Sparta market. Because the cattle were required to be weaned at least 45 days, the barn was quieter than at other sales, Ms. Laufenberg said. |
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