US politicians announced yesterday (29 July) that they would reform the Congressional Dairy Farmer Caucus in a bid to give more help to the country’s struggling dairy farmers.
Co-chairs Reps. Joe Courtney (CT), Peter Welch (VT), Devin Nunes (CA) and Tim Walz (MN) will lead the Caucus.
The bipartisan organisation’s aim is to improve interaction between elected officials and dairy producers in a bid to address the current crisis hitting the industry.
In a press conference announcing the move, the Caucus called for a US$211m increase in US dairy subsidies to offset the current price slump.
Under the group’s proposals, the Milk Income Loss Contract subsidy would be increased for the remainder of the year.

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By GlobalDataThe move was welcomed by the US dairy industry.
“The complexities of dairy policy, and the diverse size and scope of dairy farming in the US, means that we need a forum in Congress for dairy farmers to interact with their elected officials,” said Jerry Kozak, president and CEO of National Milk Producers Federation.
“The Dairy Farmer Caucus will help facilitate the communication between, and education of, members of Congress and the farmers they represent.”
Kozak said that a national, bipartisan organization will help build consensus on Capitol Hill on the range of issues affecting farms of all sizes in all regions.