The U.S. Department of Agriculture has issued a final decision to amend the producer-handler definition in all federal milk marketing orders.
These amendments were considered in a recommended decision published Oct. 21, 2009.
This decision amends the producer-handler definition of all federal milk marketing orders to limit exemption from pooling and pricing provisions of the orders to those producer-handlers with total route disposition and sales of packaged fluid milk products to other plants of 3 million pounds or less per month.
These amendments are subject to producer approval before they can be implemented on a permanent basis. The final decision amends all federal milk marketing orders. Each amended federal order must be approved either by two-thirds of producers supplying milk to the federal order or by producers who supply two-thirds of the milk to that order. If approved, USDA will issue a final rule.
Source: USDA