Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation: Welcomes federal dairy aid

Web site link:

http://www.wfbf.com/archivej/htmArchive/showPage.aspx?page=15636.htm&id=15636

Contact: Casey Langan, Director of Public Relations, 608-828-5711

MADISON – The Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation greatly appreciates federal action to provide $350 million in financial relief to struggling dairy farmers.

“We are especially thankful that the lion’s share of this relief ($290 million) will go directly to dairy farmers who have suffered the effects of low prices through all of 2009,” said WFBF President Bill Bruins. “Quickly getting this relief to our state’s dairy farm families will help them pay the bills that have mounted during this downturn.”

Another $60 million will be used to increase cheese and dairy product purchases by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. As recommended by the Farm Bureau’s 20-member Dairy Committee earlier this summer, those purchases will be used at food banks, and for federal school and nutrition programs.

“It’s great that our nutritious dairy products will be used to help feed others who have been impacted by the economic recession,” Bruins said.

Twenty-six Farm Bureau members traveled to Washington D.C. last month to lobby Wisconsin’s congressional delegation and the USDA on farm issues, including how to provide relief to dairy farm families while the marketplace recovers.

“We appreciate the work of Senator Kohl and Congressman Obey on reaching a vital agreement on how this relief package can best serve our state’s over 13,000 dairy farms,” said Bruins, a dairy farmer from Fond du Lac County.

“In addition to helping our dairy farms survive this period of low prices, it remains very important to remain focused on what we can do to improve dairy pricing policies for the long-term,” Bruins said. “That squarely rests on creating a milk marketing policy that allows us to become a reliable supplier to the world market. USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack’s creation of a Dairy Industry Advisory Committee is the best sign yet that this can be achieved.”