NMPF tackles tough issues for dairy co-ops
he National Milk
Producers Federation
(NMPF) represents dairy
marketing cooperatives
throughout the United
States and is the “granddad” of commodity
organizations, formed in 1916.
Soon after formation, NMPF formalized
and focused efforts of several
dairy leaders to secure passage of the
Capper-Volstead Act, the “Magna
Carta” of farmer cooperatives. This
essential legislation provides a limited
exemption from anti-trust laws, allowing
farmers and associations of farmers
to lawfully act together to market their
commodities.
NMPF continues to provide the
forum for dairy-farmer involvement in
the formation of national public policy.
The federation, headquartered in
Arlington, Va., provides dairy farmers
and their cooperatives an organization
to develop policy positions and longrange
objectives. These positions are
represented to Congress, executive
agencies and regulatory bodies affecting
the dairy industry.
NMPF tries to maintain and improve
the economic well-being of dairy farmers
and their cooperatives and to assure
consumers an adequate supply of wholesome
milk and dairy products. A majority
of NMPF’s voting delegates, board of
directors and executive committee
members are active dairy farmers.
Federation activities focus on legislative
and regulatory actions concerning
federal milk marketing orders, the
dairy price support program, product
standards and quality programs, international
trade, child nutrition programs,
animal health, and food safety.
A few of NMPF’s major accomplishments
in the past year
include:
- Creating a unique new
milk supply-and-demand
balancing program,
Cooperatives Working
Together, to help
improve low producer
prices;
- Working to strengthen
the dairy price support
program by proposing
changes that will prevent the
farm-level price from dropping
below $9.90/cwt.;
- Gathering more support for legislation
restricting the imports of Milk
Protein Concentrate (MPC) and
Casein;
- Developing a new dairy proteins
program to encourage the production
of a domestic supply of Milk
Protein Concentrate;
- Helping to ensure that mad cow disease
in the United States does not
adversely affect dairy operators;
- Seeking the best-possible treatment
of the U.S. dairy production sector
as the White House negotiates trade
deals within the World Trade
Organization, Australia, Chile and
Central America.
Numerous information services of
the federation are designed to help
interpret the dairy industry to government
leaders, the media and various
public audiences, plus keep
dairy farmers informed of
federal actions affecting
them. A biweekly newsletter,
“News for Dairy Coops,”
reports on congressional
and regulatory
developments and federal
administrative action. An
annual booklet, “Dairy
Producer Highlights,” contains
a wide variety of data about milk
production, purchases, utilization and
related statistics.
“The Regulatory Register” and
“Import Watch” are regular newsletters
that cover key areas of interest to
the dairy industry.
Contact information: website:
www.nmpf.org; phone: (703) 243-6111;
address: 2101 Wilson Boulevard, Suite
400, Arlington, Va. 22201. President
and CEO: Jerry Kozak. BoardChairman:
Charles Beckendorf (DFA).
