An amendment offered and accepted late in the House Agriculture Committee’s debate on the new farm bill would prevent states from interfering with the sale of agricultural products sold in the state based on standards of production or manufacture that are more stringent than federal standards.  While the amendment was intended to block state initiatives to dictate farm animal production practices, which most producer organizations including Western United Dairymen would enthusiastically support, unintended consequences abound from this one.
Of specific concern to California’s dairy families is the potential impact on the state’s higher fluid milk nutrition standards.  State law requires that all fluid milk sold in the state meet minimum standards for solids not fat that are higher than the federal standards.  Oddly, the farm bill amendment itself wouldn’t affect milk processing in the state.   Processors in California would still have to comply with state law.  But the state could lose its ability to enforce the standards on packaged milk brought into the state, which would affect the competitiveness of processors in the state potentially costing jobs and taking away the nutrition advantage California consumers currently enjoy.
The impact here is not limited to California, however.  WUD analysis shows the loss of California’s higher fluid milk nutrition standards would result in an additional 85 million pounds of NFDM annually needing to find another market.  That would result in additional downward pressure on farm milk checks everywhere and higher federal safety net costs for federal taxpayers.
This is no longer a proposal; it is now part of the House farm bill.  Passage of an amendment to change or remove it is now required should there be a vote of the full House of Representatives on the Agriculture Committee’s bill.  That is by no means a certainty, however, so a broad coalition of agricultural interests in the state and around the country is getting creative on looking at ways to address this important issue.  WUD has taken a leading role in working with the California delegation members on reversing the potential impact of this amendment to make certain our state’s dairy farm families are protected. July 23, 2012 WUD Friday Update