All of you need to contact your local newspapers, magazines and farm publications to raise awareness about the National Dairy Producers Organization Inc. If you prefer, please have them contact our office and we will be able to help them. Have them call 800.364.4894 or email us at info@nationaldairyproducers.org
Group Effort
The group's priorities include persuading Congress to increase import tariffs, ease shipping restrictions on milk products, and do away with certain environmental regulations that he says cost farmers money.
Building A Local Presence
Dairy farmers in the United States are facing lower milk prices and slumping sales - down 1.5 percent in 2010 from 2009, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture - and have been accused by farm economists of losing revenue because they are producing too much milk.
Farmers lost between $2.50 and $4 per 100 pounds of milk produced in 2010, according to Bloomberg News. Milk prices in Virginia are ever changing, but ended the year at $13 per 100 pounds, down nearly $7 from December 2007, according to the USDA.
With milk prices down and expenses rising, central Valley farmers say staying in the dairy business is becoming increasingly difficult.
Genske cited rising dairy imports as one reason for declining prices.
But, some dairy farmers expressed skepticism that another group - even one devoting the bulk of its resources to lobbying lawmakers - would have any influence on Congress.
 |
| Photo by Traci White |
A Rockingham County farmer, who asked that his name not be used, said similar organizations - such as the National Milk Producers Federation - have made little difference.
The strength of the new group is that it is made up entirely of present and former dairy farmers, said Dennis Trissel, a Rockingham County dairy farmer.
"They don't have a hidden agenda," he said.
And interest in the organization was evident, as word of this month's meeting in Dayton drew farmers from more than two hours away.
"I met guys from Roanoke," said Eric Paulson, executive secretary of the Virginia State Dairymen's Association.
Paulson said some farmers could benefit from membership in the National Dairy Producers Organization, but added that they should carefully consider the group first.
"With milk prices as bad as they are, it's another organization trying to look out for dairy farmers," he said. "Some people are going to support it, but it's really up to the farmer to decide which organization is the right one."
Dozens of groups already represent dairy farmers across the nation, but Genske said his is working on becoming the only one with a significant presence in all 50 states.
"We want to represent ourselves as being producers and speaking on behalf of producers," he said. "We've got seasoned folks who understand the problems of the industry. We are dairy farmers, and we represent only dairy farmers."
Other groups representing dairy have a different focus.
The National Milk Producers Federation represents everyone involved in the dairy industry, not just dairy farmers, said federation spokesman Chris Galen.
The federation has been lobbying Congress for years, and has achieved some success, Galen said.
And the National Dairy Council is focused more on aiding farmers through research, said council spokeswoman Laura England.
Because the council is a quasi-governmental organization, it does not lobby Congress, England said.
Contact Patrick Cooley at 574-6272 or pcooley@dnronline.com
