The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) expressed their concern over USDA’s rule to reopen the Canadian border to cattle over 30 months of age. CEO Jerry Kozak says the concern is in two areas.
For one, this will mean the border will again be open for replacement dairy heifers to come into the United States. Before the border was closed, Canada exported between 50,000 and 60,000 replacement animals into the U.S. each year. Now while that pales in comparison to the more than 4 million replacements raised in this country each year it is still a question as to whether we can absorb those additional animals. Kozak says the increased heifer numbers would mean increased milk production and lower prices. “Our analysis shows that a return to export levels of 2003 will reduce milk prices by 18% over the next five years, cutting dairy farmer income by $5 billion.” In fact, NMPF had requested USDA and then the Office of Management and Budget do an in depth analysis before opening the border.
The other concern says Kozak is the fact that Canada has had several cases of BSE in cattle that were born after their ruminant-to-ruminant feed ban went into effect. He says there is a pretty good chance there are more positive animals in Canada and that means the possibility that one crosses the border. “Our dairy farmers can’t take any comfort from USDA’s probabilities and statistical projections. The reality is that animals infected with BSE in Canada become our problem when they arrive in the U.S.”
3 Comments on “…And NMPF isn't Happy About it”
As a dairy producer I am grateful to NMPF for going to bat on this. I hope they get some attention from someone somewhere before beef and dairy prices hit the skids again.
As a dairy producer I am grateful to NMPF for going to bat on this. I hope they get some attention from someone somewhere before beef and dairy prices hit the skids again.
As a dairy producer I am grateful to NMPF for going to bat on this. I hope they get some attention from someone somewhere before beef and dairy prices hit the skids again.