Gillibrand Introduces Dairy Farm Bill
US - New York's beleagured dairy farmers could be getting a raise—at least if Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-Hudsson, has anything to say about it.
13 April 2007
2 minute read
The congresswoman's first piece of legislation is designed to protect dairy farmers.
Dairy farmers complain the increasing price of milk, cheese and ice cream on store shelves has no correlation with the low payments they get at the start of the process.
“And the history is not good. I mean in the last 20 years we've lost one third of our dairy farms in New York state and New York state is the third largest producer in the United States for milk production,” Gillibrand said Thursday.
If something isn't done Gillibrand says many of the remaining dairy farms won't stay in business. That would have a ripple effect in rural communities throughout the area.
“We look at our local NAPA dealerships, our machinery dealerships, our local hardware stores. We generally put about 90 percent of our income back into our communities,” dairy farmer Stuart Ziehm said.
The farmers complain that there is a major disconnect between the price they're paid for their milk and the price you end up paying, so that if they get more, you wouldn't necessarily pay more.
Gillibrand and supporters gathered at the Ziehm family farm in Cambridge to publicize her first piece of legislation—the American Dairy Farmer Protection Act. It would oppose Bush administration policy by increasing dairy price supports and establish a minimum that farmers would get or their milk.
Source: WNYT
