Congress averts "dairy cliff"

Tuesday night, the U.S. House of Representatives approved a "fiscal cliff" package from the Senate that rescinds tax increases for a majority of Americans, as well as extending federal dairy policy for another nine months in the absence of a new farm bill. 

The fiscal cliff package extends the Milk Income Loss Contract program through Sept. 30, as well as the dairy price support program. 

Because Congress had not passed a farm bill by the end of 2012, dairy policy on Jan. 1 would have reverted to a 1949 law without the fiscal cliff fix. That, in turn, would have increased federal price supports for cheese, butter and milk powder to 75 percent to 90 percent of parity (based on the purchasing power that farmers had between 1910 and 1914). That would have been the equivalent of $38 to $42 per hundredweight milk. 

Under this scenario, milk prices in the grocery store would have increased -- possibly doubling -- which led to the term "dairy cliff" in the national media. 

While the latest congressional action averts the "dairy cliff," it also postpones dairy policy reforms that were sought by the National Milk Producers Federation and approved last summer by the U.S. Senate and the House Agriculture Committee. The reforms, part of a larger farm bill, never got passed because the farm bill never made it to the House floor for a vote. 

In a statement Tuesday morning, following Senate passage of the fiscal cliff deal, National Milk Producers Federation president and CEO Jerry Kozak expressed frustration over the continuing delay of policy reforms. 

“The Senate’s vote earlier today on a nine-month extension of current farm policy is a devastating blow to the nation's dairy farmers," Kozak said. "After months of inaction, the plan that passed overnight as part of the fiscal cliff package amounts to shoving farmers over the dairy cliff without providing any safety net below...  

“Dairy farmers across the country have united behind the Dairy Security Act provisions in the original farm bills that have already been approved by the full Senate, and by the House Agriculture Committee.... 

”Despite the progress made in 2012 on the farm bill, we’re starting 2013 on a bad note. We oppose any farm bill extension of any duration that does not contain the Dairy Security Act, and resolve to work this year on achieving that as a long-term goal,” Kozak said.

The International Dairy Foods Association, meanwhile, was more congratulatory toward Congress’s efforts.

1. Nutrition group weighs in on aspartame in milk: It's not needed
2. Cold Storage report proves bearish for butter stocks
3. Ag markets diverged widely Wednesday afternoon
4. Commentary: Milk faces branding dilemma
5. Treating hypocalcemia routinely
6. Ongoing wave of Calif. metal theft prompts further legislation

1. 4 rules for growing a business or industry
2. Seven jobs more dangerous than farming
3. Chocolate milk a top post-workout food
4. What do dairy exports mean for Minnesota?
5. Commentary: Milk faces branding dilemma
6. Salma Hayek: Milk part of 'perfect' breakfast

1. Seven jobs more dangerous than farming
2. Buffet concerned about soil and starvation
3. 2014 Farm Bill: Are we near an agreement?
4. Farm bill and immigration reform action needed
5. Class III futures close out quietly last week