A2O-Lancaster Fanning, Saturday, July 6, 1991
New York Dairy Farmers Must Vote Now
BATAVIA, NY—New York’s
dairy fanners will benefit from the
commissioner of agriculture’s
proposed minimum milk price
under the Rogers-Allen Act.
“All New York farmers will
gain approximately 70 cents per
hundredweight because of Com
missioner Richard T. McGuire’s
proposed Rogers-Alien milk
marketing order,” said Carmen L.
Ross, executive director of the
Regional Cooperative Marketing
Agency (RCMA), which was
instrumental in getting the order
enacted.
“Now the critical issue is for
dairy farmers to vote in favor of
the order,” Ross added.
McGuire announced the order
on Wednesday, but before the
order becomes law, dairy farmers
must vote to accept the proposals.
Ballots have been sent from the
Department of Agriculture and
Markets office, and all ballots
must be back in Albany by July 9.
Two-thirds of the state’s dairy far
mers must approve the order if it is
to become law. Ballots that aren’t
returned count as a “no” vote.
Ross outlined several reasons
farmers should vote “yes.” These
include:
♦ Farmers will receive more
money for their milk. The order
establishes a minimum price of
$14.50 for Class I milk, which is
used for fluid consumption. This
is the price processors must pay.
The money will be distributed
among all New York dairy far
mers who sell their milk to plants
within the state, no matter whether
their milk is used for fluid con-
sumption or turned into cheese or
other dairy products.
* Farmers can protect their
business from future price
declines. The Rogers-Alien order
would create an economic safety
net for farmers for one year. It
would protect them from volatile
milk prices, but does not prevent
the Class I price from rising above
the fixed price of $14.50.
* Recent price gains will be
lost without the Rogers-Allen
order. New York’s milk prices
were increased on June 1 under an
interim order, but these prices are
only in effect until a decision is
reached under Rogers-Allen. The
interim prices will expire on
August 1. If the Rogers- Alien
order is not approved by dairy far
mers, milk prices will drop.
* Farmers can demonstrate
unity throughout the Northeast.
For the first time, states in the
Northeast have indicated a will
ingness to work together to help
dairy farmers. Several states fol
lowed New York’s lead to fix a
Class I milk price higher than the
federal order Class I milk prices.
Disunity among dairy farmers in
the Northeast can only result in
lower milk prices.
* Farmers can exercise new
power given to them. The New
York Legislature recently
amended the Rogers-Alien Act to
permit dairy farmers to more
quickly address disastrously low
milk prices. By voting yes, far
mers exercise this new power.
* Farmers select the best
available option. The Rogers-
AUen order temporarily raises
milk prices and returns more
money to dairy farmers. It pro
vides an economic safety net for
dairy farmers. It demonstrates
New York dairy farmers’ willing
ness and power to protect and save
the dairy industry in this state and
the Northeast.
“For all of these reasons, we
urge farmers to vote ‘yes’ and to
return their ballots as soon as they
receive them,” Ross said.
Dairy cooperatives will block
vote for their members, so
cooperative members should con
tact their officers to make sure the
ballot is returned, Ross said.
RCMA worked several months
to obtain this order for dairy far
mers. Efforts started late last fall,
when it was apparent milk prices
were dropping to levels of the late
19705. RCMA filed the petition to
Commissioner McGuire, asking
him to use his powers under the
Rogers-AUen Act to set minimum
prices for milk in New York State.
RCMA is the only dairy organi
zation in the state that could file
the petition, because the law
requires the petitioning organiza
tion to represent more than 35 per
cent of the dairy farmers.
RCMA’s membership is more
than 90 percent of the state’s milk
producers.
Once the petition was filed,
RCMA began the massive job of
lining up witnesses for the hearing
to consider the petition. Twelve
days of testimony were presented
in Albany during April. Many
dairy farmers testified that milk
prices were below their cost of
production. Bankers, farm equip
ment dealers, veterinarians and
feed salesmen said the declining
dairy industry was hurting the
economy throughout upstate New
York. All urged the commissioner
to set the minimum prices.