Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) introduced the Fair Milk Pricing for Farmers Act. This bipartisan legislation would require manufacturers to report dairy processing costs every 2 years, which would help dairy farmers make sure that their prices accurately reflect the costs of production.
“Maine’s dairy farmers work hard to produce high-quality milk, but they often don’t have clear information on how processing costs affect the prices they receive for their product,” said Senator Collins. “This bipartisan bill would increase transparency across the dairy industry by requiring processors to report the costs of turning raw milk into products like cheese, butter, and yogurt, giving farmers the information they need to advocate for fairer pricing.”
“New York dairy farmers deserve to be paid a fair price for their milk, and they need a milk pricing system that they can count on,” said Senator Gillibrand. “Requiring manufacturers to report dairy processing costs on a biennial basis will give dairy producers, processors, and cooperatives the data they need to ensure that their prices accurately reflect the costs of production. After successfully championing dairy pricing reforms in the last Congress, I look forward to supporting New York’s dairy industry by passing this vital bipartisan bill.”
The Fair Milk Pricing for Farmers Act is endorsed by the International Dairy Foods Association, the National Milk Producers Federation, and Northeast Dairy Farmers Cooperatives.
“Timely authorization for regularly updated cost of processing surveys will provide dairy processors and producers the transparent data to ensure that the Federal Milk Marketing Orders accurately reflect ‘make allowances’ for manufacturing dairy products,” said Michael Dykes, D.V.M., President and CEO of the International Dairy Foods Association. “This is critical to ensuring more accurate milk pricing, supporting continued investment in dairy, fostering innovation to meet consumer preferences, and driving overall demand for milk. IDFA is grateful to Senators Gillibrand and Collins for their leadership to advance this issue on behalf of the entire dairy industry.”
“We thank Senators Kirsten Gillibrand, D-NY, and Susan Collins, R-ME, for once again writing bipartisan legislation to require USDA to conduct mandatory dairy manufacturing cost surveys every two years,” said the National Milk Producers Federation. “Regular studies on the costs of processing raw milk into manufactured dairy products would make future dairy pricing conversations more accurate and based on better information, allowing future adjustments to reflect market conditions. We look forward to working with the bill’s sponsors to enact it into law this year, as soon as possible.”
“The Northeast Dairy Farmers Cooperatives (NDFC), representing dairy farmer families in New York and New England, supports the Fair Milk Pricing for Farmers Act,” said Northeast Dairy Farmers Cooperatives. “We commend Sens. Gillibrand (D-NY) and Collins (R-ME) for their prodigious leadership in introducing this legislation, which will empower the USDA to conduct mandatory, auditable surveys every two years. This will ensure accurate cost data to stabilize dairy programs and support systems.”
Senator Collins has long been a champion for fair market practices in the dairy industry. Senator Collins is an original cosponsor of the DAIRY PRIDE Act, bipartisan legislation that would combat the unfair practice of mislabeling non-dairy products using dairy names by requiring non-dairy products made from nuts, seeds, plants, and algae to no longer be mislabeled with dairy terms such as milk, yogurt, or cheese.
Additionally, Last September, Senator Collins, along with Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), James Risch (R-ID), and Peter Welch (D-VT), sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture urging the Departments to carefully consider any changes to the upcoming Dietary Guidelines for Americans that could add plant-based imitation products into the dairy category, despite their nutritional differences.
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