California Ag Network

Tag: United Dairy Families of California

  • Secretary Ross Orders Referendum of QIP Sunset Plan

    United Dairy Families of California — Yesterday Secretary of Agriculture Karen Ross signed a Decision of Order to hold a referendum on the petition submitted by United Dairy Families of California (UDFC).

    The petition is a producer-derived plan to sunset the Quota Implementation Plan (QIP) effective March 1, 2025 and to equalize Regional Quota Adjusters such that the quota premium in all counties equals $1.43/cwt.

    The Secretary’s signature confirms the proposed decision from Judge Timothy Aspinwall stating that UDFC’s “petition must proceed to a producer referendum.”

    According to information posted on the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) website, “the referendum voting period will be March 4, 2021 – June 1, 2021,” to ensure full participation among dairy producers.

    The petition was born out of a multi-year effort led by UDFC, a producer-led organization seeking to unite the California dairy industry. The organization held over twenty meetings around the state and solicited input from hundreds of producers to determine a path forward for the QIP.

    UDFC submitted over 300 signed petitions from dairy producers to CDFA, which initiated the referendum process.

    United Dairy Families is pleased with the Secretary’s decision to affirm the recommendation, and looks forward to encouraging all California dairy producers to cast a ballot in the forthcoming referendum.

  • Referendum on CA Dairy Quota Reform Proposal Recommended by Administrative Judge

    United Dairy Families of California — Judge Timothy Aspinwall issued a recommended decision today that United Dairy Families of California’s petition to sunset the Quota Implementation Plan (QIP) and equalize Regional Quota Adjusters (RQAs) must move forward to a referendum.

    The judge’s decision confirmed that the petition submitted to the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) met all legal and procedural requirements. The Order of Decision is now before CDFA Secretary Karen Ross, who will make the final determination on whether or not a referendum will be held.

    The petition was born out of a multi-year effort led by United Dairy Families, a volunteer organization of dairy farmers seeking to unite the California dairy industry. United Dairy Families held over twenty meetings around the state and solicited input from hundreds of producers to determine a fair process to resolve the current dispute over the QIP.

    Economists Dr. Marin Bozic and Matt Gould provided expert analyses of multiple plans that aided dairy producers in their decision to move forward with the sunset plan to the QIP.

    United Dairy Families submitted over 300 signed petitions from dairy producers to CDFA in June, which initiated the referendum process. A hearing on the petition was held on September 30, 2020, during which Judge Aspinwall heard testimony and arguments from United Dairy Families, interested organizations SAVE QIP and STOP QIP, and additional testimony from various producers.

    United Dairy Families is pleased with Judge Aspinwall’s decision, and hopes Secretary Ross will affirm the recommended decision and direct that the petition proceed to a referendum.

  • CDFA Qualifies Dairy Families’ QIP Sunset Plan Petition

    United Dairy Families of California —Today, the industry-generated petition to implement a sunset plan to the QIP was qualified by the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA). The petition qualified with 28% of the number of Market Milk producers operating in California in May 2020.

    CDFA anticipates holding a Producer Review Board meeting in August followed by a public hearing to consider the petition.

    Dairy Families is grateful to the dairy producers that signed the petition and have supported the process thus far. We have taken a huge step together toward uniting the dairy industry!

    Dairy Families submitted a petition to reform California’s historic quota program to CDFA in June. The petition outlines a five-year sunset proposal, which was the result of a process that included input from hundreds of California dairy producers over several months of regional meetings. The Dairy Families’ petition calls for CDFA to bring the producer-generated idea to a referendum.

    You can find the announcement from CDFA below: