California Ag Network

Tag: Gregg Doud

  • USMCA Review Puts Dairy Back in the Spotlight

    The Trump administration announced July 1 it will not renew USMCA in its current form, triggering the agreement’s annual review process while keeping all existing trade provisions—including dairy tariff-rate quotas and rules of origin—in force. The move does not disrupt current dairy trade but keeps long-standing issues, including Canada’s dairy market access, on the negotiating table.

    One week earlier, while speaking June 24 at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) conference, Three Nations, One Table: North American Agriculture Under USMCA, Gregg Doud, President and CEO of the National Milk Producers Federation and former U.S. Chief Agricultural Negotiator under the first Trump administration, described dairy as one of North America’s most integrated industries.

    “I think one of the most fascinating conversations on integration is dairy between the U.S. and Canada. I mean, we have facilities on both sides of the border, very close to each other, and there’s stuff going back and forth all the time, which makes it really complicated to know what the real trade is,” Doud said.

    His observation reveals a challenge ahead. While the U.S. operates under a market-oriented milk pricing system built around Federal Orders that are benchmarks, not guarantees, and Canada relies on administered pricing through fat-based milk production quotas, dairy manufacturing has become increasingly integrated as it straddles the border with investments in the U.S. by Canadian-based companies, including at least one prominent Canadian-farmer-owned-cooperative company operating and expanding state-side.

    As negotiations move forward, policymakers will be weighing not only market ‘access,’ but also where value is created and where it lands in an “integrated” North American supply chain and what else is being integrated in terms of ‘sustainability’ definitions, metrics and data collection. In today’s ag and dairy economy, the question of what crosses the border is much more complicated than it was six years ago. — Story contributed by the American Dairy Coalition

  • NMPF Releases Statement on New World Screwworm

    The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) released a statement following the detection of New World screwworm in Texas last week. NMPF President and CEO Gregg Doud weighed in on the news stating:

    “The return of Wew World screwworm to the United States decades after its initial eradication is a disappointing milestone, but it’s also one for which dairy producers have been preparing for more than a year, in collaboration with USDA and across agriculture. It’s important to remember that this development has no effect on food safety, and that measures to combat both the screwworm and its spread are in place and time-tested. We appreciate the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s proactive efforts to prepare for this moment, and we stand ready to work with the department to address any ongoing challenges.

    Now that USDA has confirmed that screwworm is here, dairy farmers and all livestock producers pledge close collaboration with USDA, state and local officials, and producer organizations to mitigate any harmful effects and educate farmers on how to protect their herds. We have been creating resources to guide farmers in their responses, and we will keep our members well informed of any important screwworm developments.

    We also urge officials to follow scientific guidance in any decisions affecting animal movements and regulatory responses to avoid causing economic harm that could be greater than the screwworm itself. We also ask that adequate resources be provided to combat this problem, which causes suffering in animals and creates risk for producers.”

    Currently, no instances of New World screwworm have been reported in California.

  • NMPF Applauds Farm Bill Passage in House

    The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) voiced its support for the passage of the Farm Bill in the House of Representatives, and are now urging Senate to follow suit.

    The Farm bill was passed Thursday morning, and includes several provisions that benefit American dairy producers, such as expansion of the SNAP Healthy Fluid Milk Incentives projects into broader Dairy Nutrition Incentives Projects, according to the International Dairy Foods Association. NMPF President and CEO Gregg Doud praised the passage.

    “The House-passed 2026 Farm Bill supports the farm safety net, preserves existing conservation programs that include opportunities for dairy and livestock producers, bolsters trade promotion programs while protecting common food names, recognizes the important role of dairy in nutrition, and supports animal health programs. All of these are important priorities to dairy farmers and the broader industry, and we appreciate the leadership shown by House Agriculture Committee Chairman GT Thompson and other dairy champions to get this legislation through the House,” Doud said. “We look forward to the Senate taking up the farm bill without delay. At a time where farmers face unprecedented challenges, Congress needs to provide the stability of a five-year, comprehensive farm bill. We will work with leaders in both chambers, from both parties, to get a farm bill signed into law.” — Story Contributed by the National Milk Producers Federation

  • NMPF Releases Statement on the DAIRY PRIDE Act

    The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) released a statement supporting the reintroduction of the DAIRY PRIDE Act in the U.S. House of Representatives. Introduced by Reps. John Joyce (R-PA) and Josh Riley (D-NY), the act would deem food products that are making inaccurate claims about milk content “misbranded,” requiring the the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to issue guidance for nationwide enforcement of these products within 90 days.

    NMPF President and CEO Gregg Doud expressed support for the DAIRY PRIDE Act, stating:

    “FDA’s continued failure to enforce its own rules on the proper labeling of plant-based alternative products is a public health problem, plain and simple. Milk and dairy products supply 13 essential nutrients, including three that continue to be identified as nutrients of public health concern: calcium, potassium, and vitamin D. But plant-based imitation products that are not nutritionally equivalent to real milk and do not deliver dairy’s unique nutrient package for too long have been allowed to imply to consumers that they are just like the real thing, creating a public health problem that FDA commissioners have acknowledged over the past decade.

    “The DAIRY PRIDE Act directs FDA to enforce dairy standards of identity, which were developed to promote honesty and protect consumers. Through the standards of identity, dairy terms, including “milk”, “cheese” and “yogurt,” have come to carry distinct meaning in the minds of consumers, with built-in expectations for nutritional values. By not enforcing these standards, FDA has allowed plant-based imitators to prey on consumers’ expectations while delivering nutritionally inferior products.

    “It’s high time FDA makes it easier for consumers to navigate the choices they face in the grocery aisles; the DAIRY PRIDE Act is an important step in the right direction. Dairy farmers and their cooperatives thank Reps. John Joyce and Josh Riley for their bipartisan leadership in finding solutions through this critical legislation.”