National Updates From NFFC

Updates from our friends at National Family Farm Coalition!

* NFFC Dairy Farmers Finally Recognized, Rewarded in DairyAmerica Lawsuit *

More than a decade after filing a lawsuit against DairyAmerica and California Dairies for misreporting milk prices to USDA, NFFC dairy farmer members Gerald Carlin, Bryan Wolfe (later represented by Diana Wolfe) and Paul Rozwadowski, with non-member John Rahm, achieved some resolution: all US dairy farmers selling raw milk into the Federal Milk Marketing Order between January 1, 2002, and April 30, 2007, excluding DairyAmerica and California Dairies, were entitled to funds from the awarded $40 million settlement. Also significant was the end to this kind of misreporting by the two large processors.

Once awards were dispensed among thousands of eligible farmers, remaining funds were shared among several organizations representing the interests of dairy farmers, including Family Farm Defenders and NFFC. 

We salute the plaintiffs' dedication to the effort to end price misreporting, which led to thousands of family farmers being underpaid for their raw milk by tens to hundreds of millions of dollars. 

* Here's a shareable link to The Federation's release on the favorable ruling regarding intervention in USDA $4 Billion ARP Act Debt Relief Litigation. *

USDA Announces Program to Expand Meat/Poultry Processing Capacity

The Meat and Poultry Processing Capacity Technical Assistance Program (MPPTA) will provide technical assistance to meat and poultry grant applicants and grant-funded projects. There are $23.6 million available in competitive grant funding.

To learn more about the MPPTA program, or to initiate a request for technical assistance under this program, visit https://www.ams.usda.gov/. For information on other USDA Meat and Poultry Supply Chain Initiatives, visit www.usda.gov/meat. 

Bipartisan House Agriculture Committee Support Food Aid  

In a letter to Secretary Vilsack and Administrator Power, Committee Chair David Scott, Ranking Member Glenn Thompson and 36 House Members requested that resources in the Bill Emerson Humanitarian Trust (BEHT) be used to address ongoing humanitarian food crises. In part, the letter reads:

"The immediate need for aid, particularly commodities, will likely increase in light of Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. Ukraine is a large producer of wheat and grain, and if production levels drop it is likely that we will see corresponding pressure in the global grain markets. This may be compounded by further shocks to global grain, energy, and fertilizer supply, as Russia is rightfully sanctioned for its actions."