By Jamie Martin
The National Milk Producers Federation's Board of Directors meeting recently concluded, bringing together dairy farmers and cooperative leaders to discuss critical industry challenges.
The meeting, held in Washington D.C., brought together over 50 dairy farmers and cooperative leaders to strategize on labor, trade, and other pressing matters.
"We’re in a fast-moving environment, with a new administration and things changing every day," said NMPF Board Chairman Randy Mooney. "We are happy to have NMPF watching out for us here in Washington."
A major highlight was the approval of a new Federal Milk Marketing Order set to take effect on June 1. This policy, developed by NMPF, aims to ensure fairer milk prices for farmers and cooperatives.
Labor shortages and trade policies were key concerns among attendees. "The top two issues we have today are immigration and tariffs," Mooney stated. "Nothing else means anything else to us if we don’t have anyone to milk our cows."
Discussions also focused on dairy exports and global trade. The board approved the renaming of the Cooperatives Working Together export assistance program to NEXT (NMPF Exports & Trade) while working on a new business plan.
Additionally, the board announced the creation of the Dr. Peter Vitaliano Legacy Scholarship, recognizing his contributions to the dairy industry.
The NMPF board welcomed two new directors: Mark Leichtfuss of FarmFirst Dairy Cooperative in Wisconsin and Richard Hill of Upstate Niagara Cooperative in New York.
Farmers left the meeting committed to advocating for policies that support dairy production, fair trade, and a sustainable future.
Photo Credit: national-milk-producers-federation
Categories: National