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Walz talks dairy prices, other ag issues at farm picnic Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Agri News staff writer
LEWISTON, Minn. --- Rep. Tim Walz talked dairy prices in front of about 150 dairy farmers seated between him and cows rotating past in the carousel parlor.
"Everybody in this industry is expressing concern," said Walz, who was the guest of honor at a Minnesota Milk Producers Association Picnic on the Farm Friday. Daley Farms of Lewiston hosted the event.
Walz, who is co-chairman of the House dairy caucus, told the producers the farm visit was a great learning opportunity for him. Southern Minnesota benefits greatly from the dairy industry, he said. The dairy industry's economic impact is as important as that of the Mayo Clinic, Walz said.
Now, the dairy industry is suffering. A year ago, dairy farmers received just more than $20 per hundredweight for their milk, said Shelly DePestel, business manager of Daley Farms LLC and a member of the fifth generation to manage the dairy farm. Earlier this summer, the price of milk was less than $9 per hundredweight. Their July price was $11.93 per hundredweight, DePestel said. Their breakeven price is $14.90.
They have cut costs to get by and are glad the summer was cool, reducing utility costs for the dairy. Daley Farms of Lewiston LLP is a fifth generation dairy operation made up of four brothers and one sister. They have 1,420 cows and heifers.
DePestel said they agreed to host the Picnic on the Farm to foster communication between dairymen and Walz.
"I think today went well," said Bob Lefebvre, Minnesota Milk executive director. "It exceeded our expectations as far as attendance."
Walz said he understands that producers have bills to pay and need to buy shoes for their kids to start school, but their neighbors in town aren't aware of their plight because the price of milk at the grocery store hasn't changed.
"Why has the price of milk not changed at the grocery store?" Walz asked.
No one answered his question, but they asked several more. Imports of milk protein concentrate, Section 32 funding, immigration reform, health care, imports of Canadian heifers, milk price reporting and incentives to encourage MPC manufacturing in the United States were among the topics discussed.
Walz pledged to meet with members of the House dairy caucus in early September and see what action plan they could develop. He said he'd run the action plan back through Minnesota Milk.
Minnesota Milk held 10 picnics on the farm this summer for state lawmakers in addition to the Friday picnic, Lefebvre said. Several of the rural lawmakers brought an urban counterpart to the picnic in their district. The purpose of the picnics is to bring legislators up to speed on dairy issues and also to say thanks for everything legislators do to help dairy producers, Lefebvre said. |
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