Dairy Farmers Speak Out Against Supply Management at World Dairy Expo

They support the Goodlatte-Smith amendment, saying it provides insurance without government interference in free markets.
Dairy farmers from several states spoke out at World Dairy Expo today about the dangers of a dairy supply management program included in the Dairy Security Act.
They voiced support for the Goodlatte-Smith amendment, an alternative proposal they said provides insurance without government interference in free markets.
«Supply management is fundamentally flawed,” said LuAnn Troxel, who with her husband milks 130 cows and operates a large animal veterinary practice in northwest Indiana.
“No other commodity groups are being asked to reduce supply,” Troxel said. “I don’t want to be the guinea pig for supply management.”
Supply management will bring unintended consequences, Troxel added. “It will be negative for exports, which are the answer to those of us who want to increase our production. Also, we’d rather have experts find ways to move our dairy products to the world market.”
Also speaking out against supply management were Wisconsin dairy producers John Pagel, Jerry Meissner, Gordon Speirs and Randy Hallet. They were joined by: Mitch Davis, who manages Davisco Foods and operates a 6,500-cow dairy; Maury Cox of the Kentucky Dairy Development Council; and dairy producer Howard Straub of St. Johns, Mich.
The Dairy Security Act is part of the farm bill version passed by the Senate and next up for floor debate and amendments by the House of Representatives. The controversial provision in the Dairy Security Act is known as the Dairy Market Stabilization Program (DMSP). If dairy farmers want to participate in a margin, or risk insurance program, they would have to agree to participate in the DMSP. Under the DMSP, would either have to limit milk production or forfeit a portion of their milk checks when margins fell below $4/cwt.
Farmers are beginning to learn the potential impacts of the program, producers said today. If the program becomes law, dairy farmers would either have had to decrease production beginning back in May, or pay a penalty.
“That deduction, at 8% or even at 4%, has a huge impact on our bottom line,” said Pagel of Pagel’s Ponderosa Dairy in Kewaunee, Wis. “That 8% can pay a lot of bills or cover my interest at the bank.”
Speirs is a third-generation dairyman who owns and operates Shiloh Dairy LLC with his wife, Cathy, and sons Travis and Tyler. The Speirs family moved its operations from Alberta, Canada to Brillion, Wis. in 2003. Shiloh Dairy is a 1,500-cow dairy and is in the process of expanding to 2,100 cows over the next two years.
“I am opposed to supply management because once regulations are in place and found to be not working, the government will do its best to try to fix it with more regulations,” said Speirs. “This was my experience in Canada with the quota system and I expect it will not be different here.”
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