With the new Congress beginning to get situated for a busy year ahead in Washington, the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) is continuing to promote the need for a major change in dairy policy, one that reflects the specifics of its Foundation for the Future program.

NMPF staff members have held productive meetings with the new Republican Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, Frank Lucas of Oklahoma, who has indicated a desire to address dairy policy this year. The Agriculture committee’s top Democratic, Collin Peterson of Minnesota, has likewise expressed interest in working with NMPF toward a new dairy policy.

NMPF is working to put into legislative form the specifics of the Foundation for the Future program, so that members of Congress can then have the legislation evaluated for its costs and economic impact. In addition, NMPF is currently preparing a detailed rebuttal of the recent dairy processor-funded critique of the potential impact on dairy farmers of Foundation for the Future.