DORGAN ACTS TO HELP DAIRY FARMERS
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
CONTACT: Justin Kitsch
or Brenden Timpe
PHONE: 202-224-2551
(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – U.S. Senator Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) is working to help North Dakota dairy farmers cope with the nationwide fall in dairy prices.
Last week, Senator Dorgan was a part of a conference of House and Senate negotiators that finalized the FY 2010 Agriculture Appropriations bill, and helped secure $350 million in emergency aid to help dairy farmers across the nation. The assistance includes $290 million to help dairy farmers directly, and $60 million to buy cheese products to donate to food banks.
In addition, Senator Dorgan is supporting legislation that would close a loophole that allows foreign dairy exporters to circumvent trade rules and flood the market with excess dairy products.
Senator Dorgan sent a letter to North Dakota Farmers Union President Robert Carlson highlighting recent actions he has taken in Congress to support dairy farmers in North Dakota. North Dakota Farmers Union hosted a summit of dairy farmers in August to discuss the issue of low prices in the dairy market and what can be done to address the problem.
“I know this is not enough to solve the dairy crisis, but I am hopeful these efforts will help stem the losses in the dairy sector and bring a return to profitability,” said Dorgan in the letter. “I will keep working on this issue and determine what further steps are needed to bring dairy prices above the cost of production and increase the farm share of dairy profits.”
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