`Under Duress' Dairy Group Votes For Final Milk Rule

August 9, 1999

Dairy Farmers of America says no one should be misled by its yes vote on federal milk marketing order reforms. "This was a vote under duress," says DFA, an effort to keep the system intact until Congress can act on a milk pricing option that gives farmers more money for their milk.

"In no way is our affirmative vote to be considered support for the new federal order proposed by (USDA)," said DFA board Chairman Herman Brubaker. "This was a vote under duress. It is our effort to keep the federal order system intact as we work for the enactment" of the higher milk pricing bill. Friday (Aug. 6) was the deadline for voting in the referendum on the final marketing order rule.

"Unfortunately, Congress' inability to act prior to (the August) recess, and (USDA's) deadline...put us in a real predicament," said DFA CEO Gary Hanman. "Even though we do not support the prices proposed...we really had no option but to vote yes (to) ratify the amended orders." If DFA would have noted against the rule, several federal orders would be terminated, Hanman said. "Without federal orders to enforce them, the need for Class I and Class III and IV prices is irrelevant."

The milk pricing bill that ensures higher farm prices passed the House Agriculture Committee in July but was not taken up by the full House before the recess. The bill mandates that USDA use Option 1A instead of the modified version of Option 1B included in the final rule on which dairy farmers had to vote by Aug. 6. It preserves the USDA decision to reduce orders from 31 to 11. An effort on the Senate floor to consider dairy provisions in the agricultural appropriations bill failed to develop.