Dairy Price Supports
All across the country, family dairy farms are struggling to make ends meet. Minnesota dairy farmers have been hit especially hard. The difficulties facing these family farmers can't be traced to a single source. Family dairy farmers are confronting an unprecedented global recession, consolidation in the market, high feed prices, and unpredictable price swings.
Senator Franken recognized that Minnesota dairy farmers needed aggressive action for immediate relief, and met with Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack last year to ensure that everything possible was being done. Following that meeting, the Obama Administration announced that it was taking immediate action by increasing the amount paid for dairy products through the Dairy Product Price Support Program (DPPSP).
To support the administration's action, Senator Franken cosponsored a dairy price support amendment that was included in the 2010 Agriculture Appropriations bill (H.R. 2997), which passed the Senate on August 4, 2009. This amendment provides the Department of Agriculture with $350 million in additional funds to enable it to increase the level at which the government buys surplus dairy products off the market. As the next farm bill approaches, Senator Franken will be examining all options to identify the policies best suited to provide stability and profitability to Minnesota's dairy industry.
