Two Wisconsin Congressman Introduce Legislation to Establish Commission of Dairy Industry Stakeholders to Address Problems Facin
Thursday, September 17th, 2020 -- 9:09 AM
(Wisconsin Ag Connection) -Two Wisconsin Congressmen have introduced legislation that would establish a commission of dairy industry stakeholders to help address the problems facing Wisconsin farmers.Reps. Mike Gallagher and Ron Kind say their bipartisan Dairy Pricing and Policy Commission Act of 2020 would call for a comprehensive study on decreasing real values of dairy farmer milk prices and income, as well as economic and policy causes for the declining number of small and medium sized dairy operations. The panel would also evaluate levels of milk production across the country and look at opportunities and challenges for increasing domestic and export demand for dairy products. "While the Coronavirus exacerbated the challenges facing many Wisconsin dairy farmers, problems like low milk prices and declining farm income predated the pandemic," Gallagher said. "Now more than ever, it's important that Congress does all it can to better evaluate these issues and improve the economic environment for these hardworking men and women."
Kind adds that Wisconsin dairy farmers have been facing difficult conditions for years, with an average of two dairy operations going out of business each day before the pandemic. "It's clear that we need to take a hard look at the factors creating struggles for our dairy industry, and then take action," he said. "To that end, I'm proud to introduce bipartisan legislation to create a commission and bring everyone to the table to identify the best options available to make sure our family farmers can succeed." The commission would consist of a broad coalition of dairy farmers, processors, and other experts who would provide recommendations on some of the biggest challenges facing the industry.
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