Let it be known that because of the generous efforts of all Dairy Pricing Association Members and employees throughout the years, it has been discovered that the need for dairy products for use in food banks across the nation is unbelievably large. The dairy donation program started during Covid has now ended and has left a lot of low income people struggling to keep dairy in their family’s diet. The Dairy Production Stabilization Act of 1983 or better known as Dairy Checkoff was a Congressional Act intended to support dairy producer’s income through advertising which would in return increase the use of dairy products and improve the health of Americans has had no updates or changes since 1983. When you look at the declining dairy farm numbers since 1983 it is impossible to say that this program helped the dairy industry. Dairy Pricing Association Members and other dairy producers would like to ask Congress to amend the Dairy Production Stabilization Act of 1983 to allow dairy producers to divert 2 cents per hundred out of the 15 cents per hundred that they pay to a Parent food bank in their state. The Parent food bank will oversee the distribution of money to local food banks and soup kitchens with this money ear marked to be used for dairy products only. The dairy producer will choose which promotion entity they will divert from either the state or national entity. This is a form of promotion that will not only feed needy people but will introduce children to real milk instead of soft drinks. This is a winning combination because of the importance of dairy products to the immune system of every person young and old. Farmers would benefit greatly from this type of donation, instead of paying high priced CEO’s to implement the checkoff. After seeing the needs first hand and watching what can happen when good people pull together to distribute high quality dairy products, I urge Congress to please seriously consider this proposal. Please consider the needs of others.
Click here to print this Dairy Check Off Reform Proposal