Dairy Farmers Navigate New Policy Challenges

NMPF Meeting Focuses on Labor, Trade, and Future Strategies

Dairy farmers from across the United States gathered at the National Milk Producers Federation’s (NMPF) Board of Directors meeting to discuss key issues and celebrate recent policy victories.

The meeting, held in Washington D.C., brought together over 50 dairy farmers and cooperative leaders to strategize on labor, trade, and other pressing matters.

"We are happy to have NMPF watching out for us here in Washington,” said Randy Mooney, NMPF Board Chairman and a farmer from Rogersville, MO.

The group celebrated the nationwide adoption of a new Federal Milk Marketing Order, set to take effect on June 1. This order is the result of a four-year effort by NMPF to secure fairer pricing for dairy farmers and their cooperatives.

During the meeting, agricultural labor and trade were highlighted as critical issues. “The top two issues we have today are immigration and tariffs,” Mooney noted. “Nothing else means anything else to us if we don’t have anyone to milk our cows.” He also reaffirmed the commitment to expanding dairy exports despite global market turbulence.

Additionally, NMPF is planning a successor to the Cooperatives Working Together export assistance program, now renamed NEXT (NMPF Exports & Trade), which aims to further enhance dairy's presence in international markets.

New directors welcomed to the board include Mark Leichtfuss of FarmFirst Dairy Cooperative in Wisconsin, and Richard Hill of Upstate Niagara Cooperative in New York.

The board also initiated the Dr. Peter Vitaliano Legacy Scholarship, honoring the retired NMPF economist for his dedication to the success of U.S. dairy producers and cooperatives.