The hearing to consider possible changes to the federal milk marketing order system will resume in mid-January, but an industry leader says it should have wrapped up already.
Alan Bjerga with the National Milk Producers Federation says, “If people were just sticking on-topic and really focusing on the proposals, and really looking at what is best for dairy farmers as a whole, I think we’d be done by now.”
Bjerga says he’s confident their proposal would be fair and solve many problems. “The National Milk Producers Federation put together a unanimous consensus, all sizes, all regions, best-minds-in-dairy proposal that I think could be voted on by producers tomorrow and get the support needed for a new order.”
Bjerga says the process is slowly going through a lot of arcane points. “A lot of it is processor groups who have some very vested interests to collect every penny they can for as long as they can.”
A dairy farmer, who wished to remain anonymous told Brownfield, “I think my milk check is on trial.” Bjerga says, “Is this being kicked from fifteen different directions by some very smart people with a lot of resources who can give some very technical explanations and some withering cross examination? Yeah, that’s what is going on. That is the system. That is why we are undergoing this process. It’s a complex process and intentionally so. You don’t want to change the FMMO system on a whim. There are too many stakeholders.”
Bjerga says their lead economist, Peter Vitaliano, has already been on the witness stand more than 40 hours answering questions about the various proposals since the hearing began August 23rd.
Several dairy organizations and processors have submitted proposals during the hearing. Once the hearing is finished, USDA will evaluate the testimony and then decide what farmers can vote on.
The USDA’s Federal Milk Marketing Order hearing will resume January 16th in Carmel, Indiana.
Audio: Alan Bjerga discusses the ongoing Federal Milk Marketing Order hearing with Brownfield’s Larry Lee
