A new round of cheese purchases announced by the Agriculture Department should help lower inventories, increase consumption and provide much-needed support for dairy farmers, explained John Newton, AFBF’s director of market intelligence, in a recent Newsline. Although the purchases announced last week will help offset the lowest milk prices farmers have seen since 2009, more help is needed, which is why Farm Bureau is already looking ahead to the next farm bill.  

“We’re evaluating a number of policy proposals with respect to dairy in the next farm bill,” Newton said. AFBF’s farm bill working group has put together about 50 white papers, a webinar and a survey on farm bill topics including dairy policy. Learn more at fb.org/farmbillworkinggroup.