Continued Coverage on Milk Hearing
WUD: Yes on Federal Milk Marketing Order
Hearing in Clovis is the Super Bowl for California Dairy Producers
By Charmayne Hefley, Associate Editor
Anja Raudabaugh, CEO of Western United Dairymen, which represents half of the dairies in California, is closely watching the USDA special hearing to evaluate four proposals to convert California’s State Marketing Order to the Federal Milk Marketing Order (FMMO).
On September 22, in Clovis, Raudabaugh said, “This is an historic day. It is like a Super Bowl for California dairy producer. We welcome the opportunity for fair prices and better prices for California dairy producers, and that is what we are to support today. We are hoping to get better opportunities for our producers.”
“We are going to be testifying in support of the Cooperatives Proposal,” said Raudabaugh.
The dairy cooperatives – California Dairies Inc., Land O’ Lakes, and Dairy Farmers of America – say a federal pricing structure would fix the inequity that exists between the state’s dairy farmers and the rest of the nation.
Raudabaugh said the industry will need to see what the USDA actually delivers in terms of a federal order. “We have a proposal that we’d like to see happen,” she said. “It all depends on what the ultimate outcome is. We will review it with our membership at that time.”
It could take up to a year for the USDA to issue its proposal.
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