Milk Producers Urge Pricing Provision Be Included in Bill

September 27, 1999

The National Milk Producers Federation has urged that the House leadership allow producer-preferred milk pricing provisions to be included in the agricultural appropriations bill. Otherwise House action approving the provision "will be meaningless."

Thirty-five other farm and dairy organizations joined NMPF in writing the letter to the leadership, including House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-IL), Majority Leader Dick Armey (R-TX), Majority Whip Tom DeLay (R-TX) and Rep. J.C. Watts (R-OK), House chairman of the appropriations conference.

They want the milk pricing provision more favorable to farm milk prices than USDA's proposed pricing scheme included. The House approved the bill 285-140 last Wednesday night.

"Since the House and Senate conferees are currently meeting to discuss the fiscal year 2000 agriculture appropriations bill, dairy issues must be among those that are addressed by the conferees," the group say. "The timing of (the milk pricing bill's) overwhelming approval cannot have gone unnoticed by the House leadership. But we are concerned that you need to understand the importance of letting the conferees address dairy issues as part of the consideration of the appropriations bill."

The letter urged House leaders "to allow consideration (of the bill) and avoid any further public divisiveness between the leadership and the conferees as well as within the airy industry on this issue." Dairy issues, such as milk pricing and whether to expand authorization for dairy pricing compacts have been one reason why the conference committee was unable to reach an agreement on appropriations last week.