Farm Aid

photo by Craig Smith



On Farm Aid, I signed this wonderful informative petition. Please go to http://www.farmaid.org/ and sign it, too! US family dairy farmers are a big part of Hope 4 America, too. Thank You ~ Patty:)

To: Members of Dairy Industry Advisory Committee

Thank you for your commitment to examining price volatility and farm profitability for dairy farmers and for your efforts in providing the Secretary of Agriculture with critical recommendations on how USDA can best address these issues to ensure a viable future for our nation's dairy farmers.

As you know, family dairy farmers are in a chronic cycle of crisis. In January 2009 alone, dairy farmers faced a dramatic 30% decline in milk prices, the result of a defective milk pricing system that is vulnerable to extreme volatility and instability. This downward spiral has continued with some farmers receiving as low as $9 per hundredweight for their milk — less than half the cost of production.

The dairy industry needs a commonsense pricing formula for raw milk that pays a fair price and accounts for cost of production on farms across the country. Dairy price support programs must also account for total cost of production. Until a reasonable pricing formula is established, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack must use his authority to institute an emergency floor price of $18 per hundredweight for milk to keep farmers on the land during the current crisis.

Furthermore, any supply management scheme created must factor in total cost of production in order to truly address the problems that put dairy farmers out of business. Otherwise, such measures will be counterproductive and ultimately harmful to the health of family farms.

Thousands of family dairy farmers are at risk of losing their homes, their land, and their livelihood. Please, act now to set a fair price for milk and save our nation's family dairy farmers.

Sincerely

Patty Ann Smith