March 29, 2024
BANGOR DAILY NEWS (BANGOR, MAINE

Dairy farmers seeking boost> Milk production lagging in Maine

WATERVILLE — Nearly 20 Maine dairy farmers testified Wednesday night before the Northeast Dairy Compact Commission, asking for help to stay on their family farms, for ways to enable them to pass their farms on to their children, and for the ability to compete with the rest of the country.

Although Maine milk production is not above last year’s level, the Compact Commission called five regional meetings to discuss above-average production in New England. Of all six states, only Vermont, at 5 percent, and Connecticut, at 9 percent, are above last year’s production levels.

Compact opponents, however, are accusing the New England price-support system of being the incentive for farmers to increase production. In April, Compact members received 17 cents extra for each hundredweight of milk shipped. Meetings were held in all six New England states, according to Compact Commission Executive Director Kenneth M. Becker, and the Waterville meeting was the final forum.

Becker said Thursday that the Compact producers represent less than 3 percent of the country’s total milk production.

“Just the increase in production in California totals more than all six New England states produce,” said Becker. “Just the increase in Idaho totals more than all six New England states produce. We need to put this issue into perspective.”

Becker said the Maine farmers’ comments echoed those the commission heard in the five other states: The Compact payment is important, but it did not give the farmers an incentive to increase production. Producers said factors such as weather, feed quality and unrelated farm-management decisions made the most difference this fall.

In Maine, Becker said production levels actually dropped by 1 to 2 percent, mostly because of the effects of the January ice storm.

Of about 60 dairy farmers attending Wednesday night’s forum, Becker said 19 testified.

“They said they are proud of what they do for Maine’s economy,” he said. “They just want to keep their farms and preserve a way of life they feel is important to the state.”

Becker said that even though the number of dairy farms in Maine has decreased, the level of production has stayed pretty even, mostly because existing farmers picked up the slack.

According to statistics compiled this month by Agri-Mark, a New England milk cooperative, milk production is up sporadically nationwide, with Idaho leading other states with a whopping 12 percent increase in the past year. Other increases include Vermont, 4 percent; Pennsylvania, 5 percent; and Wisconsin, 2 percent. The majority of objections to the Compact come from large producers in states such as California and Texas, where milk production dropped by 2 to 4 percent.

As a result of a recent increase in milk production in the New England region, the commission took the preliminary step in March of escrowing a portion of the farmer payment funds in order to deal with the issue on a short-term basis.

This action was taken, said Becker, because the Compact legislation may require the commission to reimburse the federal government for Commodity Credit Corp. purchases. CCC contracts with the commission to purchase extra milk, but with the latest increase in production, reimbursement for purchases over a certain level may be necessary. Reimbursement becomes necessary whenever production within the Compact exceeds the national average for production increases.

“Since the decision to escrow provides only a temporary solution,” said Becker, “we needed to schedule the regional forums.”

Becker said Thursday that the Compact’s committee on regulations will meet several times over the next two months and conclusions regarding milk supply should be made by Sept. 1.


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