WASHINGTON - Dairyfarmer Dave Buck feeds his calves at 6:30 in the morning and 6:30 in the evening. He wants them to grow healthy on his land in Goodhue, Minn., so they produce as much milk as possible.Now, Buck and thousands of other Minnesota dairyfarmers and dairy food processors may have to choose between getting the most milk from cows or participating in a voluntary government system that ties insurance protection to accepting occasional production limits."A quota system is basically what it is,” Buck said. “It isn’t as good for Minnesota if we want to grow our industry."The goal of the proposed program is to protect farmers against losses and to eliminate big price swings, like the ones that drove a significant number of dairyfarmers out of business in 2009. Whether that’s a good idea has fractured agriculture communities across the country, including Minnesota, the nation’s seventh-largest dairy state.
November 19, 2020 08:32 PM
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