NMPF: FMMO Change Brings Fairer Milk Prices

Dairy producers from across the nation celebrated “fairer” milk prices for farmers during the National Milk Producers Federation Board of Directors meeting, which concluded this week. They also pledged to work together to meet significant challenges on labor, trade, and other issues. Dairy farmers heard presentations updating pressing dairy issues, including the agricultural labor supply, trade, and H5N1 bird flu, which has been circulating in the nation’s dairy herds for a year.

“The top two issues we have today are immigration and tariffs,” says NMPF Board Chair Randy Mooney. “Nothing else will mean anything if we don’t have enough people to milk our cows.”

On trade, he said day-to-day turbulence doesn’t change dairy’s commitment to building exports.

“We intend to play in the world market, and we will invest in the world market to do that,” he said.

NMPF’s board also charted a path toward a successor organization to the Cooperatives Working Together export assistance program, which the organization said has helped dairy build overseas markets. Reflecting that reformation, the board voted to rename the program NEXT (NMPF Exports & Trade) while authorizing a new business plan for final approval in June. The board also welcomed two new directors: