U.S. House Ag Committee Chairman Collin Peterson of Minnesota is leading a group of 70 Democratic and Republican House members urging USDA to place a high priority on the implementation of dairy provisions in the 2018 Farm Bill. In a letter to U.S. Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue, Peterson and his colleagues cited the continued loss of dairy farms and deficiencies in previous programs as reasons for expeditious implementation of provisions in the new Farm Bill, particularly the Dairy Margin Coverage program.
“The 2018 Farm Bill provides dairy farmers with better risk management tools, improved coverage and more affordable options,” said U.S. Rep. Glenn Thompson of Pennsylvania, the ranking member of the Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and Risk Management and a signatory on the letter. “USDA should fast-track these changes as times remain difficult and producers around the nation need more options.”
Peterson said in addition to swift implementation, he hopes USDA will step up outreach efforts to dairy producers about benefits of the new programs.