AG Secretary Says PA's Dairy Efforts Increase Economic Impact by $185 Million

US - By increasing milk production and making farms more profitable, Pennsylvania's dairy industry has increased its contribution to the state's economy by $185 million.

28 June 2007

3 minute read

North America

"The dairy industry in Pennsylvania is the foundation of our state's economy, contributing more than 37 percent of our agricultural revenues," said Agriculture Secretary Dennis Wolff, who addressed the Pennsylvania Dairy Task Force last week. "The task force and the Center for Dairy Excellence were designed specifically to improve our dairy industry and increase farm profitability and our investments in these organizations are paying tremendous dividends."

Besides increasing total milk production, Pennsylvania has helped farmers generate $82 million more in on-farm profits, Wolff said. "The key focus of the Pennsylvania Dairy Task Force and the Center for Dairy Excellence is to coordinate available resources and support a growing dairy industry," said John Frey, the center's new executive director. "It is our goal to help producers continue improving the profitability of their dairy businesses, which has a ripple effect on both the entire dairy industry and on the state's economy."

Task force members received an update on the Northeast Dairy Leadership Team, an initiative that resulted from a memorandum of understanding signed by state agriculture leaders in Pennsylvania, New York and Vermont.

Wolff introduced Governor Rendell's federal dairy policy reform recommendations, which have been supported by Congressman Tim Holden in his dairy bill, H.R. 2462. During the meeting, the task force unanimously voted to support the legislation outlining the recommendations.

Task force committee members and center staff shared updates on key initiatives, including the Dairy Profit Team Program, the Dairy Advocacy and Resource Team, Dairy XP, meetings with key legislators in Harrisburg, a statewide milk quality initiative and a young producer initiative.

Dairy XP, the pilot project to grow marginal milk production in Tioga and Bradford Counties, generated 17.5 million pounds more milk in 2006, resulting in an impact of $5.5 million on the local economy. The task force's economic development committee plans to initiative a similar project in western Pennsylvania.

The Dairy Profit Team program boasts an enrollment of 91 farms and has available funding for 50 additional farms this year. The program helps producers improve profitability, generating a $249 increase in per-cow profits and a 25-percent increase in milk production for participating farms in its first year.

The center unveiled its youth education initiative, which is funded by the Pennsylvania Dairy Promotion Program. "Discover Dairy" includes five interactive, Web-based lessons that share a dairy farm's contributions with third and fourth graders, using curriculum that ties into learning standards identified by the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

The lessons include a four-minute streaming video, an interactive, online game component, and a formal instruction classroom activity and worksheet. Pennsylvania dairy producers and farms, as well as dairy-related and other businesses, were included in the video footage. "Discover Dairy" will be completed by the end of June, and will be available on the http://www.marketplaceforthemind.com Web site.

The Pennsylvania Task Force meets twice each year, with its five committees meeting throughout the year. More information about the Pennsylvania Dairy Task Force can be found at http://www.centerfordairyexcellence.org.