A series of meetings will be held throughout California in the coming weeks offering information on the Quota Implementation Plan (QIP). The sessions will go over the statewide QIP referendum and will also provide a description of the program. The informational presentations will be concise to provide sufficient time for questions from those in the dairy industry.
On October 16 a session will be held at the Stanislaus County Farm Bureau in Modesto at 10 a.m. The November 6 meeting will be held at the Chino Fairgrounds beginning at 10:30 a.m. The final session will be on November 7 in the Conference Dining Room of the Heritage Complex in Tulare at 10 a.m.
In the proposed Federal Milk Marketing Order (FMMO) for California, the USDA did not incorporate a quota aspect in the pricing system and are allowing producers the choice in adopting a quota program. After several months of consideration, the Producer Review Board submitted the QIP language which was recently approved by California Department of Food and Agriculture Secretary Karen Ross. If the proposed QIP is approved, a FMMO for California would still need to be declared for it to take effect.
The Quota Implementation Plan paperwork has been delivered to the post office and should be on the way to producers. The blue ballot is accompanied by instructions, an explanation of the program, and a postage paid envelope to return the ballot. Ballots must be filled out and postmarked no later than Monday, December 4, 2017, to be counted in the vote.