Statement from From Jim Mulhern, President and CEO of NMPF:
The announcement made by USDA offering to purchase up to $20 million of cheese will provide assistance to America’s dairy farmers through increased demand for milk, while also serving the needs of Americans who patronize food banks and other charitable assistance organizations.
“We continue to look at ways to address the challenging economic situation facing dairy farmers, and are appreciative of USDA’s efforts to improve the effectiveness of the dairy Margin Protection Program established in the 2014 farm bill. Further changes are needed to improve the program as an effective safety net, but such changes go beyond the authority granted to USDA by Congress. We will continue working with Congressional leaders to seek improvements to MPP.”