The states of New York, Pennsylvania and Vermont have re-signed an agreement to work together to improve the dairy industries in all three states. The memorandum was signed during the Northeast Dairy Leadership Team meeting held in Oneonta, N.Y.
New York, Pennsylvania and Vermont comprise one of the three major milk-producing regions in the United States. Collectively, the three states produce more than 25 billion pounds of milk annually, more than 16 percent of the nation’s total milk supply, state Ag and Markets statistics show.
The memorandum includes all that was agreed upon in 2006, plus two new action items, which encourage the group to reach out to other Northeast states and to combine resources in the nutrient management and renewable energy development arenas.
Repeated areas of cooperation outlined in the agreement include:
Coordinating the direction, goals and resources necessary to ensure a competitive and profitable dairy industry in the Northeast.
Developing programs that focus on improving dairy profitability and productivity.
Optimizing the intellectual talent serving the Northeast dairy industry.
Marketing the region to dairy producers and processors outside of the Northeast.
Researching diverse dairy business models to increase business profitability.