NMPF Statement on House Agriculture Committee Approval of Farm Bill

From Jerry Kozak, President and CEO of NMPF, and Randy Mooney, Chairman of NMPF and dairy farmer from Rogersville, Missouri:

"The passage of the 2012 Farm Bill by the House Agriculture Committee is a deeply satisfying accomplishment for the many farmers who support the measure, including America’s dairy farmers.

"In particular, the House bill includes dairy reforms modeled after NMPF's Foundation for the Future program. These elements represent badly-needed improvements in our safety net for milk producers. We're very appreciative that members of the Agriculture Committee have preserved the carefully-crafted economic and political compromises that went into the creation of the dairy program in the Farm Bill. The fundamental package of dairy policy reforms supported by NMPF remained unchanged throughout the Agriculture Committee’s debate this week.

"We commend Congressmen Frank Lucas and Collin Peterson for their leadership and diligence in shepherding the Farm Bill to this point. The fact that a large bipartisan majority of the committee voted in favor of the bill bodes well for its ultimate success, and we look forward to working with the full House as it considers this legislation in the near future. We are pleased at the progress made in the House, but we also know that much work lies ahead.”

The National Milk Producers Federation, based in Arlington, VA, develops and carries out policies that advance the well-being of dairy producers and the cooperatives they own. The members of NMPF’s 31 cooperatives produce the majority of the U.S. milk supply, making NMPF the voice of more than 32,000 dairy producers on Capitol Hill and with government agencies. Visit www.nmpf.org for more information.