Statement of Vermont Congressional Delegation on 4/26/2002 regarding:
Reaction of the Vermont Congressional Delegation to the Agreement on a National Dairy Program in the Farm Bill

National Dairy Plan, Modeled on N.E. Dairy Compact, Added to Farm Bill

WASHINGTON (April 26) - Senate and House negotiators Friday reached final agreement on a farm bill that includes a new national dairy program, modeled on the benefits of the Northeast Dairy Compact. The program, backed by the Vermont Congressional Delegation, will guarantee dairy farmers in Vermont and across the nation benefits similar to those available to Northeast farmers under the Compact, which expired last September. In another key feature, farmers will receive payments retroactive to Dec. 1 last year, when milk prices to producers plunged.

Sen. Patrick Leahy, a senior member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, led negotiations on the plan in the House-Senate conference committee that has been working for several months to iron out differences between different versions of the farm bill passed by the Senate and the House. The Senate bill included a version of a national dairy plan and the House bill did not.

Following are the comments of Sen. Patrick Leahy, Sen. Jim Jeffords, and Rep. Bernie Sanders:

Sen. Patrick Leahy said: "This is a big win and a hard-fought win for dairy farmers. It took just about every waking moment we have had for months, but we got what Vermont needed from this farm bill. We insisted on a central place at the negotiating table for dairy farmers, and the result is a nationwide plan that ensures compact-level benefits to Vermont farmers and to farmers nationwide. We fought to make these payments retroactive, and we won. Now dairy farmers in the rest of the country will find out why the compact worked so well and why we have valued it so much. We see this as a bridge to the day that we can bring back the compact."

Sen. Jim Jeffords said: "This is truly a remarkable achievement for not just our dairy farmers, but for all of us who care so deeply about Vermont's rural landscape and character. The dairy provision in this farm bill will provide direct, counter-cyclical payments to producers when they need it most, during times of depressed dairy prices. These payments, targeted to help family farms, are retroactive to December 1, 2001, and are an important step towards maintaining the viability of our dairy industry. There were many who helped us march down the field, but Senator Leahy deserves the credit for moving the dairy proposal over the goal line and scoring a winning touchdown for dairy farmers across this nation."

Rep. Bernie Sanders said: "This victory is the product of months of hard work on the part of the entire delegation that, according to our coordinated strategy, began last October when my amendment establishing a national dairy compact came within less than two dozen votes of passing on the floor of the House and continued with the bold and forceful leadership of Senators Leahy and Jeffords in the Senate. Last September, no one would have thought that the Northeast, Midwest and South would have come together over dairy policy, but we have and family farmers in Vermont and all over this country will benefit substantially."

For More Information:
Visit the AGRICULTURE section.

Recommend This Page To A Friend

[HOME PAGE]

[PRINT THIS PAGE]