California Ag Network

Tag: NMPF

  • Dairy Industry Applauds USDA’s New Dairy Donation Program Aimed at Addressing Hunger, Food Waste

    Dairy industry representatives offered their support for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) new $400 million Dairy Donation Program (DDP). The Department released an interim final rule all but finalizing the DDP and making its $400 million funding available to eligible handlers and cooperatives. The program will ensure U.S. dairy companies are fairly compensated for donating nutritious dairy products to Americans struggling with hunger and food insecurity.

    Michael Dykes, president & CEO of the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) shared, “IDFA applauds USDA for finalizing the Dairy Donation Program, making it possible for U.S. dairy companies to donate fresh, nutritious dairy products to nonprofit organizations reaching Americans struggling with hunger and food insecurity. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. dairy producers and dairy foods companies have led efforts to feed the hungry and support struggling communities. With the Dairy Donation Program announced today, USDA is providing our industry with one more tool to reach Americans in need. The dairy industry welcomes the opportunity to continue to partner with non-profits, charities, and other organizations working to combat hunger and nutrition insecurity. The Dairy Donation Program ensures high-quality, nutritious products like milk, cheese, yogurt and more will get to those who need them most, while ensuring dairy foods producers receive a fair market value for their healthy products. IDFA and our members look forward to working with USDA and the non-profit community to get this program off the ground this fall.”

    Congress established the DDP in December 2020 and USDA has been working for the past several months to design the new program. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. dairy producers and dairy foods companies have been proactive about responding to hunger and supporting families in need through local food drives and charitable donations as well as federal nutrition assistance programs.

    “We thank USDA leadership for their work to bring the Dairy Donation Program to fruition. This important program will help dairy farmers and the cooperatives they own to do what they do best: feed families nationwide,” said Jim Mulhern, president and CEO of the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF). “Dairy stakeholders are eager to enhance their partnerships with food banks and other distributors to provide dairy products to those experiencing food insecurity, which the COVID-19 pandemic has only exacerbated.”

    NMPF championed the proposal throughout the legislative process and worked closely with Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), who led the effort to include this new program in COVID-19-related legislation enacted last year. The new Dairy Donation Program expands the original Milk Donation Reimbursement Program and has one-time funding of $400 million to reimburse farmers, cooperatives, and other dairy organizations for the full cost of raw milk needed to make finished dairy products for consumers.

    NMPF worked closely with USDA to ensure that the program addresses additional costs, such as processing and transportation, as well as other elements that make the program more viable. The provision covering the cost of processing is a significant enhancement from the previous program. NMPF also worked closely with Feeding America to support the program and recommend approaches to ensure its effectiveness.

    “We are grateful to USDA for helping ensure wholesome dairy products can be provided to food banks and other food distributors by reimbursing for some of these costs,” said Mulhern. “We have also been pleased to work with Feeding America to advance the partnership approach taken by this program as it will help to target dairy donations in a manner that effectively meets on-the-ground demand.”

    “Feeding America applauds today’s announcement implementing the Dairy Donation Program, which has the potential to connect millions of additional pounds of dairy donations through food banks to the people we serve. We look forward to working with USDA and our dairy partners to make this program a success now and in the future,” said Vince Hall, Interim Chief Government Relations Officer at Feeding America.

    Mulhern said NMPF appreciates Chairwoman Stabenow’s leadership in securing the program’s enactment last year, as well as the support for dairy donation offered by other key members, including Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and House Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson (R-PA).

    “We commend Chairwoman Stabenow for her leadership in authoring this program and look forward to working with Congress to secure additional funding for this program in the future to continue to minimize food waste by providing nutritious dairy products to those who need them most,” Mulhern said.

    Jackie Klippenstein, Senior Vice President, Government, Industry and Community Relations for Dairy Farmers of America, added, “The Dairy Donation Program is an important step in helping to strengthen the dairy industry’s commitment to fighting hunger in a way that reduces food waste and minimizes disruption to the supply chain. We are pleased USDA is implementing this and other programs to help distribute dairy to those who need it most.”

  • CCQA Publishes Animal Care Reference Manual

    The Calf Care & Quality Assurance (CCQA) program today published the first volume of its Animal Care Reference Manual. This manual assists farmers and ranchers who raise different breeds of male and female calves intended for dairy and/or beef production systems, encouraging calf raisers to approach management decisions with thoughtfulness and an appreciation for the responsibility they have to their animals, consumers and the broader cattle industries in the U.S.

    “The Animal Care Reference Manual is a fantastic resource which highlights best management practices and recognizes the good work that calf raisers implement across the country,” said Beverly Hampton Phifer, Stakeholder Relations Manager for the FARM Program. “This inaugural CCQA resource deliverable was designed to help calf raisers continually improve animal care outcomes on the farm while providing assurances for the supply chain.”

    In addition to the manual, the CCQA program also offers resources specific to the needs of calf raisers such as protocol templates and animal observation scoring reference guides. Online and in-person opportunities for individuals looking to be CCQA-certified, as well as a facility self-assessment, will be available later this fall.

    The CCQA program is jointly led by the National Dairy Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM) program, managed by the National Milk Producer’s Federation (NMPF) and NCBA’s Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) program, funded by The Beef Checkoff. Support is also provided by the Dairy Calf and Heifer Association, and The Beef Checkoff-funded Veal Quality Assurance (VQA) program.

    The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF), based in Arlington, VA, develops and carries out policies that advance dairy producers and the cooperatives they own. NMPF’s member cooperatives produce the majority of U.S. milk, making NMPF the voice of dairy producers on Capitol Hill and with government agencies.

    Created by the National Milk Producers Federation in partnership with Dairy Management Inc, the National Dairy FARM (Farmers Assuring Responsible Management) works with all U.S. dairy farmers, co-ops and processors, to demonstrate to dairy customers and consumers that the dairy industry is taking the very best care of cows and the environment, producing safe, wholesome milk and adhering to the highest standards of workforce development.

  • NMPF, NCFC Lead Coalition Call for Climate-Smart Ag Investments

    The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) and the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives (NCFC) today led a coalition of 12 agricultural and conservation organizations on a letter advocating for significant new funding for climate-smart agricultural practices that can help farmers to build on their environmental stewardship leadership.

    Congressional efforts toward infrastructure legislation provide opportunities for substantial new investments in conservation support, with more emphasis on climate-smart agricultural practices. USDA conservation financial incentives provide farmers with voluntary technical assistance to carry out numerous stewardship practices. But more can be done to enhance practices that can yield meaningful environmental benefits, such as climate-smart manure and feed management on dairy farms.

    “Dairy farmers are proactive stewards of their land and water resources, but they are always seeking to innovate further. Dairy farmers in 2020 committed to become carbon-neutral or better by 2050 and maximize water quality around the country. Bolstering conservation investment and focusing on climate-smart practices better positions dairy farmers to fulfill the dairy sector’s 2050 environmental stewardship goals as envisioned in the Net Zero Initiative,” said Jim Mulhern, president and CEO of NMPF.

    “America’s farmer co-ops and their producer-owners stand ready to help address the global challenge posed by climate change. Increasing conservation funding for climate-friendly farming practices is essential to giving them the tools they need to do that and to continue their stewardship of our shared natural resources,” said Chuck Conner, president and CEO of NCFC.

    NMPF, NCFC, and their colleagues call in the letter for increased spending on conservation incentives, including strong technical and financial assistance, with a greater focus on climate-smart practices. The organizations also support new rural broadband resources in pending infrastructure legislation. The letter also reiterates the major concerns that many of its signers have already voiced regarding several proposed changes to tax policy that would undermine the transfer of family farms from one generation to the next.

    Organizations joining NMPF and NCFC on the letter include the Agricultural Retailers Association, American Seed Trade Association, CropLife America, National Association of Conservation Districts, National Association of State Departments of Agriculture, National Association of Wheat Growers, National Farmers Union, National Potato Council, Produce Marketing Association, and U.S. Apple Association.

    About the National Milk Producers Federation

    The National Milk Producers Federation, based in Arlington, VA, develops and carries out policies that advance dairy producers and the cooperatives they own. NMPF’s member cooperatives produce more than two-thirds of U.S. milk, making NMPF dairy’s voice on Capitol Hill and with government agencies. For more, visit www.nmpf.org.

    About the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives

    Since 1929, the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives has been the voice of America’s farmer cooperatives. Our members are regional and national farmer cooperatives, which are in turn composed of nearly 2,000 local farmer cooperatives across the country. NCFC members also include 26 state and regional councils of cooperatives. Farmer cooperatives allow individual farmers the ability to own and lead organizations that are essential for continued competitiveness in both the domestic and international markets.

  • Dairy Industry Urges Renewal of Trade Promotion Authority

    To foster further expansion of U.S. dairy exports, the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) and the U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC) called upon the Biden Administration to seek renewal of Presidential Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) following its expiration today.

    TPA lays out congressional expectations for trade agreements negotiated by the Administration and establishes a clear pathway for straightforward congressional input. To remain globally competitive, future trade agreements are vital for U.S. dairy farmers, workers, and manufacturers.

    The call for renewal comes on the one-year anniversary of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), enacted with the help of TPA. For dairy, USMCA provisions established improvements to market access in Canada and set clear standards for trade with Mexico.

    USMCA also established procedures to enforce the agreement. In May, U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai initiated a dispute settlement proceeding over Canada’s administration of dairy tariff rate quotas (TRQs) in order to preserve the market access expansion negotiated in the agreement. The U.S. dairy industry continues to monitor implementation of other key USMCA areas as well such as Canada’s Class 7 disciplines on dairy exports and Mexico’s trade-distorting regulatory proposals.

    “As we celebrate the one-year anniversary of USMCA today, it’s heartening that the Biden Administration has already sent a signal to our trading partners that its terms must be upheld by launching a dispute settlement case to defend U.S. dairy market access rights in Canada,” said Jim Mulhern, President and CEO of NMPF.

    “If properly implemented, USMCA is a positive step in the right direction. But it is not enough alone for U.S. dairy farmers and cooperatives to keep pace in global markets. By standing still, we slip further backward as competitors in Europe and New Zealand advance their own trade agreements with key markets. A forward-leaning trade agenda focused on expanding export opportunities for Made-in-America products is critical to dairy farmers. TPA is a vital tool in that process.”

    USDEC President and CEO Krysta Harden also stressed the importance of TPA for exports.

    “Foreign markets are crucial to the health and prosperity of America’s dairy farmers and processors,” said Harden. “One in six gallons of U.S. milk is destined for export, meaning that our ability to retain foreign customers in an increasingly competitive global dairy market is absolutely essential to farmers and dairy manufacturing facilities employing workers here at home.

    “To accomplish that, we need to catch up with trading partners who have been speeding ahead with trade deals that give them a leg up over us in foreign markets. USMCA is an example of how TPA can help the U.S. expand trade opportunities, but that is only one advancement among many that are needed,” Harden continued. “Renewing our commitment to the global community and restoring American leadership starts with renewing TPA, so that U.S. dairy can realize new opportunities in places such as southeast Asia, Africa, South America and the UK.”

    In comments to the U.S. International Trade Commission last year, NMPF and USDEC note that free trade agreements yield significant benefits for dairy farmers and manufacturers alike. Free Trade Agreements have increased U.S. dairy exports by $2.14 billion and the equivalent of 1.4 billion gallons of milk translating to $17 billion in additional dairy farmer revenue.

    The National Milk Producers Federation, based in Arlington, VA, develops and carries out policies that advance dairy producers and the cooperatives they own. NMPF’s member cooperatives produce more than two-thirds of U.S. milk, making NMPF dairy’s voice on Capitol Hill and with government agencies. For more, visit www.nmpf.org.

    The U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC) is a non-profit, independent membership organization that represents the global trade interests of U.S. dairy producers, proprietary processors and cooperatives, ingredient suppliers and export traders. Its mission is to enhance U.S. global competitiveness and assist the U.S. industry to increase its global dairy ingredient sales and exports of U.S. dairy products.

  • Dairy Farmers Seek Emergency Hearing on Class I Mover Reform

    The National Milk Producers Federation’s Board of Directors voted today to request an emergency USDA hearing on a Federal Milk Marketing Order proposal to restore fairness for farmers in the Class I fluid milk price mover. The endorsement of the board, which represents dairy farmers and cooperatives nationwide, follows approval from the organization’s Executive Committee last week.

    The NMPF plan would ensure that farmers recover lost revenue and establish more equitable distribution of risk among dairy farmers and processors. The current mover was adopted in the 2018 farm bill and intended to be revenue neutral while facilitating increased price risk management by fluid milk bottlers. But the new Class I mover contributed to disorderly marketing conditions last year during the height of the pandemic and cost dairy farmers over $725 million in lost income. NMPF’s proposal would help recoup the lost revenue and ensure that neither farmers nor processors are disproportionately harmed by future significant price disruptions.

    “As the COVID-19 experience has shown, market stresses can shift the mover in ways that affect dairy farmers much more than processors. This was not the intent of the Class I mover formula negotiated within the industry,” said Randy Mooney, the dairy farmer chairman of NMPF’s Board of Directors. “The current mover was explicitly developed to be a revenue-neutral solution to the concerns of fluid milk processors about hedging their price risk, with equity among market participants a stated goal.

    “Dairy farmers were pleased with the previous method of determining Class I prices and had no need to change it, but we tried to accommodate the concerns of fluid processors for better risk management. Unfortunately, the severe imbalances we’ve seen in the past year plainly show that a modified approach is necessary. We will urge USDA to adopt our plan to restore equity and create more orderly marketing conditions,” Mooney said.

    While the current Class I mover was designed to improve the ability of fluid milk handlers to hedge milk prices using the futures market, it was also expected to be revenue-neutral compared to the formula it replaced. But that has not been the case. The significant gaps between Class III and IV prices that developed during the pandemic exposed dairy farmers to losses that were not experienced by processors, showing the need for a formula that better accounts for disorderly market conditions.

    NMPF’s proposal would modify the current Class I mover, which adds $0.74/cwt to the monthly average of Classes III and IV, by adjusting this amount every two years based on conditions over the prior 24 months, with the current mover remaining the floor. NMPF’s request will be to limit the hearing specifically to proposed changes to the mover, after which USDA would have 30 days to issue an action plan that would determine whether USDA would act on an emergency basis.

    The National Milk Producers Federation, based in Arlington, VA, develops and carries out policies that advance dairy producers and the cooperatives they own. NMPF’s member cooperatives produce more than two-thirds of U.S. milk, making NMPF dairy’s voice on Capitol Hill and with government agencies. For more, visit www.nmpf.org.

  • USDA to Implement New Dairy Donation Program

    The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s announced yesterday that it will soon implement the $400 million Dairy Donation Program established by Congress in December 2020. The department provided details on program participation to dairy processors and cooperatives in order to ensure donations of nutritious dairy products continue to make their way to Americans struggling with hunger while USDA finalizes the program.

    The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) and National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) today issued the following statements applauding USDA’s work:

    “IDFA applauds USDA for advancing the Dairy Donation Program (DDP), which will facilitate the donation of fresh, nutritious dairy products to nonprofit organizations helping Americans currently struggling with hunger and nutrition issues. The U.S. dairy industry stepped up throughout the pandemic to partner with and aid non-profits, charities, and other organizations working to combat our nation’s hunger issues that were exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic. This new program will help ensure persons in need continue to receive assistance and the unique combination of essential nutrients that only dairy products can provide. IDFA appreciates the department’s work to ensure dairy donations continue during this crucial time of need in our country. We will continue to work with the department to ensure the program works efficiently for dairy processors and cooperatives and the nonprofit organizations serving our nation’s food insecure families,” said Michael Dykes, D.V.M., president and CEO, IDFA.

    “NMPF worked closely with Congress to enact the Dairy Donation Program (DDP) in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021. This important program will help dairy farmers and the cooperatives they own to continue to do what they do best – feed people. Dairy stakeholders are eager to expand their partnership efforts with food banks and other distributors to provide a variety of nutritious dairy products to food insecure households who have faced uniquely difficult challenges throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, as hunger has risen significantly during the last year. We commend USDA for prioritizing implementation of the DDP and look forward to continue working with the Department, the food bank community and all involved to make the program a success,” said Jim Mulhern, president and CEO, NMPF.

  • USTR Report Cites Impediments to U.S. Dairy Exports

    The U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC) and the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) urged the Biden Administration to work to eliminate foreign tariffs on and nontariff impediments to U.S. exports, following the release today by the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) of the 2021 National Trade Estimate Report on Foreign Trade Barriers.

    The annual report looks at progress made and challenges remaining on U.S. trade, investment and services in countries around the globe. Compiled from information from USTR, interagency partners and public stakeholders, this year’s report covers 65 countries and regions, including Arab League nations, the European Union (EU), key Asian markets and important Western Hemisphere destinations for U.S. dairy products.

    USDEC and NMPF submitted comments on the major trade obstacles facing the U.S. dairy industry last October, pointing out that tariffs and nontariff barriers in many countries remain significant roadblocks to American dairy exports. Several of those concerns were incorporated in USTR’s report including dairy trade issues in Mexico, Canada, China and the EU, among others. In addition, USTR highlighted in its release that the key agricultural trade barriers captured in the NTE included “restrictions on the ability of U.S. producers to use the common names of the products that they produce and export”.

    “Exports are extremely important to the U.S. dairy industry, which shipped more than $6.5 billion of product to destinations worldwide in 2020,” said Krysta Harden, President and CEO of USDEC. “Obstacles to those exports negatively affect the economic well-being of America’s dairy farmers and jeopardize dairy processing jobs and workers throughout the supply chain who support our industry. These barriers must be removed.”

    “We need USTR to continue pressing our trading partners to eliminate tariffs and nontariff barriers that restrict our dairy exports,” added Jim Mulhern, President and CEO of NMPF. “The best way to do that is by implementing new Free Trade Agreements and enforcing existing agreements.”

    USDEC and NMPF in their comments focused on barriers in key dairy export markets such as Canada, China, the EU and Mexico. Among the bigger obstacles cited by the organizations were the misuse of geographical indications (GIs) and unscientific import requirements and mandates.

    On GIs, for example, the EU has sought to effectively monopolize common cheese terms by attempting to prohibit American cheese makers from using names such as asiago, feta, gorgonzola, gruyere and parmesan and keep out imports of U.S.-made cheeses with those names, not only in EU nations, but in other countries as well.

    The EU also is a leading offender in employing prescriptive requirements to limit imports, including dairy products, imposing, for example, specific animal disease oversight and documentation procedures and limiting the use of veterinary drugs and commonly used antimicrobials. These are the kinds of barriers USDEC and NMPF urge USTR to remove to ensure exports of U.S. dairy products are available to consumers around the world and to protect the millions of American jobs supported by the U.S. dairy industry.

  • 2021 Dairy Leadership Scholarship Program Applications Accepted

    NMPF is now accepting applications for its National Dairy Leadership Scholarship Program for the 2021-2022 academic year. Each year, NMPF awards scholarships to outstanding graduate students (enrolled in Master’s or Ph.D. programs) who are actively pursuing dairy-related fields of research that are of immediate interest to NMPF member cooperatives and the US dairy industry at large.

    Graduate students pursuing research of direct benefit to milk marketing cooperatives and dairy producers are encouraged to apply (applicants do not need to be members of NMPF to qualify).  The top applicant will be awarded the Hintz Memorial Scholarship, created in 2005 in honor of the late Cass-Clay Creamery Board Chairman Murray Hintz who was instrumental in establishing NMPF’s scholarship program.

    Recommended fields of study include but are not limited to Agriculture Communications and Journalism, Animal Health, Animal and/or Human Nutrition, Bovine Genetics, Dairy Products Processing, Dairy Science, Economics, Environmental Science, Food Science, Food Safety, Herd Management, and Marketing and Price Analysis.

    Applications must be received no later than Friday, April 16, 2021.  For an application or more information, please visit the NMPF website or email scholarship@nmpf.org.

  • Looking To 2021, All Dairy Farmers Should Sign Up for DMC, NMPF Says

    With the ongoing COVID-19 crisis teaching hard lessons on risk management throughout agriculture, and with dairy margins expected to be volatile over the next year, the National Milk Producers Federation is urging farmers to sign up for maximum 2021 coverage under the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Dairy Margin Coverage program. DMC signup begins today.

    “The DMC emphatically proved its worth this year, as payouts rapidly reacted to unprecedented price plunges and protected farmers exactly when they most needed help,” said Jim Mulhern, president and CEO of NMPF. “Coronavirus-related volatility in dairy markets is expected to continue well into 2021, with DMC payments a possibility. That makes it essential that farmers include DMC coverage in the robust risk-management plans they will need to ensure financial stability.”

    DMC, the main risk-protection tool for dairy farmers enacted in the 2018 Farm Bill, is designed to promote stable revenues and protect against financial catastrophe on some or all of a farmer’s milk. Despite forecasts in late 2019 predicting that DMC assistance wouldn’t be needed by farmers in 2020, margins instead fell to their lowest levels in more than a decade in the first half of this year, triggering payments that undoubtedly kept many participating dairies afloat. And unlike difficult-to-predict federal disaster assistance that’s provided via specific legislation or administrative action, DMC coverage offers certainty in times of need, allowing for better financial planning and faster payment when necessary.

    DMC also offers:

    • Affordable higher coverage levels that permit all dairy producers to insure margins up to $9.50/cwt. on their Tier 1 (first five million pounds) production history. Recent margin trends in reference to that $9.50 threshold is included in the graphic below.
    • Affordable $5.00 coverage that offers meaningful catastrophic coverage for farms of all sizes.

    NMPF has a resource page on its website with more information about the DMC. 

  • U.S. Dairy Exports to Benefit from New USDA-FDA Partnership

    The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that will establish an interagency process to further support exports of U.S. dairy products. Both agencies play critical roles in facilitating foreign sales of American-made dairy products, which is recognized and appreciated by the U.S. dairy industry. This MOU will draw upon the expertise of FDA as well as USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) and Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) to deepen and streamline their work together on the issues facing dairy exports to the benefit of U.S. dairy farmers and manufacturers.

    The MOU, a project underway within the agencies since 2017, is designed to maximize efficiency in the U.S. government’s support for U.S. dairy export requests from foreign governments by outlining each agency’s primary areas of responsibility for dairy exports. For example, FDA’s responsibilities as outlined in the MOU focus on ensuring dairy products are safe and liaising with USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS), and foreign governments on relevant food safety questions as necessary. AMS’s responsibilities focus on providing sanitary certificates and other export-related services to dairy exporters, such as export verification programs or facilitating the submission of facility questionnaires to foreign governments as needed. FAS’s responsibilities focus on facilitating sanitary certificate negotiations and liaising with foreign governments on matters related to dairy exports.

    “Today’s announcement of an interagency MOU on dairy trade between USDA and FDA is the result of years of conversation and efforts between stakeholders within the U.S. dairy industry and the U.S. government to establish consistent guidance on tackling the rising number of export challenges facing our industry. This MOU will help our industry continue to grow in an increasingly competitive global environment,” said Tom Vilsack, president and CEO of USDEC.

    “This new partnership ensures that the staff at USDA and FDA are working together in the most efficient way possible to lower barriers for our farmer’s dairy exports. Increasing U.S. dairy exports will strengthen the health of our farmers and rural communities, which is more important than ever as America’s dairy industry faces new and unprecedented challenges. We appreciate all of the hard work from both agencies and stand ready to support the USDA and FDA’s commitment to open new doors for U.S. dairy exports,” said Jim Mulhern, president and CEO of NMPF.

    IDFA President and CEO Michael Dykes, D.V.M., had this to say about the MOU: “We are excited to share this good news with IDFA’s members across the dairy supply chain. IDFA has been a tireless advocate for this kind of federal agency efficiency and cooperation, and seeing this collaborative effort come to fruition to support U.S. dairy exports is a tremendous accomplishment and a huge value-add for the dairy industry. IDFA appreciates the efforts of USDA and FDA to finalize this MOU and facilitate our industry’s global growth.”

    Beyond individual agency responsibilities, the MOU outlines how the agencies will communicate and collaborate to ensure dairy export markets remain open when new foreign requirements arise requiring the U.S. government’s response, such as recently implemented or revised certificates in China or Taiwan. The MOU also provides a published reference of each agency’s involvement in the export of U.S. dairy products, which will help address questions from foreign governments that may not have previously understood that more than one agency is involved in dairy exports.

    “In recent years, more and more countries have erected obstacles and barriers to U.S. dairy exports, including increasingly complex requirements for statements, certificates, questionnaires, and facility listings,” said Dykes. “While the U.S. government opposes overly burdensome requirements on behalf of U.S. food and agricultural exporters, U.S. officials are barraged with an influx of requests from foreign governments that make it increasingly difficult for all U.S. parties.  This MOU keeps our dairy industry and U.S. government a step ahead, positioning U.S. dairy for growth by streamlining roles and resources already in place.”

    In 2019, the United States exported $5.9 billion in dairy products, one of the strongest years on record for dairy exports. The MOU is effective immediately and can be reviewed here.