USDA Hearing Set on Milk Amendments

April 10, 2000

USDA has set aside several days in early May for a hearing on proposals to amend the Class III and IV price formulas for all federal milk marketing orders. The hearings begin May 8, and officials expect several days will be needed to hear all the witnesses who will want to testify.

The hearing is required by legislation enacted in the fiscal 2000 appropriations act. USDA is required to reconsider the Class III and IV price formulas included in the final rule for consolidation and reform of federal milk marketing orders and must implement the revised formulas on Jan. 1.

Kathleen A. Merrigan, Agricultural Marketing Service administrator, said proposals will be considered that address changes to the factors included in the pricing formulas such as the specification of the products for which prices are identified, the yield factors and make allowances included in computing component prices.

The hearing will begin a 8 a.m. each day at the Embassy Suites Hotel, 1900 Diagonal Rd., Alexandria, VA. A hearing notice will be published in the Federal Register and be available on AMS’ web site at http://www.ams.usda.gov/dairy.