BARABOO, Wis. An error
by the USDA and a new wave of
signed petitions combined to bring
the "Dump the National Dairy
Board Campaign" 8,000 signa
tures closer to die number needed
to force a binding national referen
dum on the future of the National
Dairy Board (NDB), according to
a news release from the Wisconsin
Family Farm Defense Fund, head
quartered in Bamboo. Wis.
The movement to eliminate the
National Dairy Board resulted
both out of disatisfaction by pro
ducers opposed to the possible use
of bovine somatotropin (BST) to
stimulate cows to make more milk.
The NDB had allocated produc
er funds toward a BST-education
program to prevent possible con
sumer distrust of milk produced
under the influence of BST
injections.
A natural milk-production hor
mone in the cow, additional levels
of BST over a lactation can make
the cow produce about 10 extra
pounds of milk a day. Percentages
vary, depending on the amount of
milk already being produced.
In addition, additional producer
disatisfaction with milk prices has
prompted some producers to com
plain that raw milk processors and
retailers should pay more to prom
ote dairy consumption, or ensure
that profits realized from the
producer-funded milk promotions
get back to the producer.
On April 22, eight volunteers
for NDB gathered in a Madison
office building and counted 10,668
signed petitions. About 3,000 of
these had arrived during the previ
ous week via tear-out petition
cards in the April issue of Dairy
Herd Management magazine.
Some dairy farmers in almost
every state responded to the peti
tion request
Just as the count was being com
pleted, a faxed letter from USDA
official Richard McKee arrived,
acknowledging that the previous
number of 193,000 U.S. dairy far
mers was inflated by 48,000.
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Dump The NDB Movement
McKee had been challenged to
verify die 193,000 figure by attor
ney Ruth Simpson and Bamboo
dairy Burner Mike O’Connell.
USDA's new official estimate is
145,000, which means that 14,500
signatures is all that is need to
forces referendum on keeping the
NDB.
Organizers of the movement
said 73 percent of the need signa
tures have been collected.
With petition cards still coming
in, andtherecentpublicationofthe
Consumers Union, publisher of
Consumer Reports, spent the past
year analyzing 160 samples of
milk for residues of animal
medications.
Based on their tests. Consumer
Reports found residues in only
about 2 percent of the samples.
The magazine also reported:
"The few antibiotic residues we
found were all within limits con
sidered safe by the FDA."
Concurrently, FDA reported the
results of a year-long (February
11, 1991-Deccmber 31. 1991),
milk-quality monitoring program
that analyzed 243 samples. Only
one sample tested positive, with
residues at 2 ppb., well below
petition in the National Farmers
Union and National Farmers Orga
nization newsletters. Dump die
NDB backers said they are confi
dent they can round up the needed
3,832 signatures.
While there is no prescribed
timetable for completing the cam
paign, organizers said they antici
pate the petitions will be submitted
to the USDA this fall. That would
set up a referendum in the winter.
"TTw response to the mail-in
Consumers Union Says Milk Safe
FDA's safe level of 10 ppb. The
samples were taken as part of
FDA's National Milk Monitoring
Program.
There are several reasons why
the milk supply is safer than ever.
Enhancements in milk-production,
industry medication-management,
monitoring of milk received by
processing plants, and regulatory
safeguards include:
■ Stronger federal regulations
(effective January 1992) supported
by the dairy industry, dial expand
the government's animal medica
tion residue-monitoring system.
Every incoming tanker of raw milk
is screened for residues prior to
processing. In addition, new reg
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Nearing Goal
cards would have been even grea
ter were it not for my mistake of
listing an April IS deadline,” said
O'Connell.
"Many parts for the country did
not even receive the magazine
until after April IS. Becauseof this
mishap the card format may be
repeated later. We want every
dairy fanner to have the opportuni
ty to participate in die petition
drive."
Besides gamering 3.000-plus
signatures, the petition cards
ulations provide for unannounced
on-site inspections and signific
antly stiffer penalties for the
improper use of animal
medications.
* Industry funding and support
for more comprehensive, sensitive
and accurate testing technologies
that producers, processors and vet
erinarians can use to identify and
prevent residues from entering the
food processing plants. A Virginia
Polytechnic Slate and University
(VPI) analysis of more than 50
tests identified the correct tests to
be used to identify particular medi
cations and provided a measure of
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Uncart* farming, Saturday, May 9,1N2-A33
helped bring a new national aware
ness of farmers* many-faceted
opposition to the structure and
agenda of the NDB.
Francis Goodman, the Wonew
oc dairyman who helped finance
the card in Dairy Herd Manage
ment, said, "Producers everywhere
are starting to gee the NDB for
whatitrealiyis an organization
funded solely by farmers to line the
pockets of everyone except
farmers."
the newly revised regulations that
govern milk safety.
• The development and promo
tion of the "Milk and Dairy Beef
Quality Assurance Program." This
program, is a 10-step grassroots
educational program that provides
farmers and veterinarians with
guidelines to implement additional
on-farm controls to reduce and bet
ter manage animal medication use.
As an industry, we will continue
to strive to reduce animal
medication residues, to maintain
monitoring systems at the plant,
and encourage every partner of the
dairy-production chain to remain
dedicated to producing wholesome
products.