An ebbing COVID-19 pandemic, an appreciation of the labor crisis in agriculture, and a heightened bipartisan desire for immigration reform all make 2021 a unique opportunity for progress in ensuring a secure dairy workforce if the moment is seized, NMPF Senior Director of Government Relations Claudia Larson says in a Dairy Defined podcast.  

“This window of opportunity, I think if we don't seize it, we're not entirely sure when it will open again,” Larson said. If people want to become involved, your voice will have an impact with your members of Congress.” 

The Farm Workforce Modernization Act, a bipartisan attempt to address ag labor needs, may reach the floor of the House of Representatives this week.

Ag Labor Reform’s Time is Now, NMPF’s Larson Says

Dairy prices that plunged, then skyrocketed, have settled – for a moment. But volatility should be expected as long as COVID-19 makes its way through the economy, said Peter Vitaliano, chief economist for NMPF.

Milk Prices Remain a Roller Coaster Amid COVID-19, NMPF’s Vitaliano Says

The coronavirus crisis is far from over, but the food supply chain has adapted effectively even as challenges remain,&nbsp; said Clay Detlefsen, chief counsel for the National Milk Producers Federation and the private-sector chair of the Food and Agricultural Sector Coordinating Council, in an NMPF podcast.

Food-Chain Return to “Normal” May Be Years Away, NMPF’s Detlefsen Says

Election-year politics is complicating efforts to push additional agriculture aid through Congress, but already-authorized spending may allow USDA to aid dairy farmers facing unstable roller-coaster prices and shifting supply chains, said Paul Bleiberg, NMPF’s vice president for government relations, in an NMPF podcast.

With Congress at an Impasse, Look to USDA for Disaster Assistance, NMPF’s Bleiberg Says

The Dairy Margin Coverage program has worked well for the farmers who signed up for it, while other federal programs ranging from emergency loans to disaster payments have helped keep dairy farms afloat during the coronavirus crisis, said Rep. Glenn “GT” Thompson, R-PA.

Congressman ‘GT’ Thompson Praises Safety Net

On National Farmer’s Day, dairy farmer Suzanne Vold is highlighting  to the environment and a net-zero future, noting that her colleagues are already effective stewards and are committed to doing more.

Sustainability, in All Its Forms, Key to Dairy’s Future, Vold Says

The extreme disruptions and financial upheaval caused by the COVID-19 pandemic have created real struggles for dairy producers – and the industry has responded by rising to an unprecedented occasion, said Randy Mooney, chairman of the National Milk Producers Federation, to delegates Monday at NMPF’s first-ever virtual annual meeting.

NMPF Chair Mooney Says Dairy is Meeting “Biggest Challenges of Our Lifetimes”

The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted lives transformed everything from schooling and shopping habits to … cheese contests. It’s not something most people think about, but in a time of social distancing and curtailed travel, how exactly does one gather, sample, compare and celebrate world-class cheeses, virtually?

How NMPF Pulled Off a Virtual Cheese Contest

James Weber is learning as he goes along – but the coronavirus pandemic, disrupted international markets, shifting technology and turbulent political debates make life as a beginning dairy farmer challenging, as Weber, explains.&nbsp;

YC’s Weber Navigates the Challenges of Launching a Dairy

Milk production is increasing faster than demand is recovering, making 2021 a challenging year for dairy farmers, said Peter Vitaliano, NMPF’s chief economist, in an NMPF podcast.

“On balance, things are improving a little bit” in dairy demand, “but they're still falling short of the milk production rate of increase,” Vitaliano said. Still, bright spots remain for the medium- and longer-term dairy outlook. Demand for U.S. dairy exports is at record levels, and demand for dairy away from home should increase as the COVID-19 pandemic fades, he said.

Milk-Production Increase Outstripping Supply Gains, NMPF’s Vitaliano Says

The voice of dairy farmers on Capitol Hill since 1916.

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