The implementation of the Federal Milk Marketing Order (FMMO) has put a spotlight on California’s dairy quota system. The milk checks that producers are receiving now under the FMMO have made it very clear what kind of deduction is made for the quota system.
“The federal order where it really opened the eyes, was when there was the quota deduction on the check, then they start looking at all the other numbers,” said Tom Barcellos, Owner and Operator of Barcellos Farms. “There was just a total awakening and an awareness now that there was money coming out that they didn’t know used to come out, but it did.”
The quota system will continue to be a point of discussion in the industry, with producers on both sides of the issue. Some producers are asking the California Department of Food and Agriculture to eliminate the system altogether.
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