Page 28—Ag Progress Section 2, Lancaster Farming, Saturday, August 12, 2000 WASHINGTON, D.C. Dairy farmers will have a new, voluntary tool for marketing their milk used in non-fluid products. USDA has issued final rules to implement a dairy forward contracting pilot program for milk marketed under the Fed eral milk marketing order pro gram. The pilot program will be in effect for milk marketed Aug. 1,2000, through Dec. 31,2004. Under the new program, han dlers may enter into forward contracts with dairy farmers or cooperative associations to buy milk that will be used to make nonfluid products such as butter, powdered milk, cheese, ice cream, and yogurt. For milk covered by forward contracts, a handler will not be required to pay dairy farmers the mandated minimum Federal order price. Instead, dairy farmers and han dlers will agree to a price as specified in a forward contract. The pilot program is voluntary and intended to offer an addi tional marketing tool for dairy farmers. “We hope this new program will be a positive experience for dairy farmers,” said Kathleen SI ag a chem EQUIPMENT CO INC www.agchem com New Products For 2001 Model 1400 Liquid Fertilizer Applicator High Clearance Sprayers Rubber torsion suspension design to cushion any bouncing action. *' vs *♦ * % v> Redbait Cultivating Sprayer One Pass Operation. Save Time, Fuel and Herbicide Same Day Shipment On Most Orders Knowles able, Experienced Staff Merrigan, AMS administrator, “but it is important that produc ers understand this program is voluntary and that they still have the provisions of the milk marketing order program if they do not choose to forward con tract. AMS will be monitoring all aspect of contracting under this pilot program to ensure that dairy farmers are not adversely affected.” To help dairy farmers become familiar with forward contract ing, USDA has prepared a tip sheet of guidelines for contract ing, which must accompany any contract offered to a producer by a handler. The contract must also contain a disclosure state ment which, when signed by the producer, acknowledges that the producer received the USDA tip sheet. In addition, initial con tracts may not be written for a period longer than 12 months. Both the signed disclosure state ment and a copy of the contract must be submitted to the appro priate milk market administra tor to be considered eligible for the pilot program. Any handler participating in the pilot program will still be subject to all other provisions of The Right Equipment For ITtEOBfILL Your Application Jobs CALL 800-760-8800 for the location of your nearest Ag-Chem dealer USDA Issues Federal Milk Order Forward Pricing Pilot Program Rules Model 670 Trailer Sprayer . „ 3 r IMM ii V ’ ' V . ; " / V' , -r - Skid-Mount Sprayers Built-In Storage Stands for Easy On and Off Truck. Three-Point Hitch Sprayer Front-Mount and Side-Mount Also Available an order and must submit all re quired reports, including reports of receipts, milk utilization re ports, and monthly payroll re ports that show how much milk was received, how it was used, and the prices paid for that milk. Handlers participating in the pilot program will also have to keep, and make available to market administrators, such records that verify and establish the handler’s obligations under the order. Handlers will be re quired to submit a copy of each forward contract, together with the disclosure statement signed by a producer or cooperative as sociation, to the market admin istrator. Frequently asked questions and answers, and a fact sheet ex plaining the program are avail able on the AMS web site at http://www.ams.usda.gov/ dairyand are also available from market administrator offices. The final rules will be published in the July 18 Federal Register. USDA Milk Market Administrator Offices • Northeast: Erik F. Rasmus sen USDA/AMS/Dairy Pro Lay-By Spray-Hood Achieve Accurate Directed Spray Applications in Roundup* Ready Crop grams P.O. Box 1478 (FT Point Station) Boston, Mass. 02205- 1478 Tel. (617) 542-8966, e-mail: Erik.Rasmussen@USDA.GOV. • Appalachian: Arnold M. Stallings USDA/AMS/Dairy Programs P.O. Box 18030, Louisville, Ky. 40261-0030 Tel. (502) 499-0040 e-mail: Amold •Stallings@USDA.GOV. • Florida and Southeast: Sue L. Mosley USDA/AMS/Dairy Programs P.O. Box 1208, Nor cross, Ga. 30091-1208 Tel. (770) 448-1194, e-mail: Sue.MosIey@USDA.GOV. • Upper Midwest: H. Paul Kyburz USDA/AMS/Dairy Pro grams Suite 210, 4570 West 77th Street Minneapolis, Minn. 55435-5037 Tel (612) 831-5292 e-mail: PauI.Kyburz@USDA .GOV. • Central: Donald R. Nichol son, Ph.D. USDA AMS/Dairy www.redbaltproducts.com Model 1500 Nurse Trailer Ag Progress Days Aug. 15,16,17 6,OO» pTS p l?Seb 2o °c gSie^* 8 , Programs P.O. Box 701440, Tulsa, Okla. 74170-1440 Tel (918)742-0415 e-mail; Donald .Nicholson@USDA.GOV. • Mideast: Marvin A. Baumer USDA/AMS/Dairy Programs P.O. Box 30128, Cleveland, Ohio 44130-0128 Tel. (440) 826-3220 e-mail: Marvin.Baumer@US DA.GOV. • Pacific Northwest, Arizona- Las Vegas, and Western: James R. Daugherty USDA/AMS /Dairy Programs Building J, Suite 102; 1930 - 220th Street, S. Bothell, Wash. 98021-8471 Tel. (425) 487-6009 e-mail: James. Daugherty® USD A. GOV. • Southwest: J. Richard Fleming USDA/AMS/Dairy Programs P.O. 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