Registration Open for Industry-Wide Federal Milk Marketing Order Forum

Prompted by a call from Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to get as many people involved in dairy as possible in one room to discuss solutions to Federal Milk Marketing Order (FMMO) shortfalls, the American Farm Bureau Federation is hosting a forum Oct. 14-16 in Kansas City, Missouri.

The Federal Milk Marketing Order Forum will include panels on various aspects of Federal Milk Marketing Orders followed by roundtable discussions structured to spur conversation among all parts of the dairy sector, but with a clear focus on farmers.

The panel sessions will cover the origins and purposes of FMMOs, Class I, Class III and Class IV pricing issues, and simplifying FMMOs.

“Meaningful changes to the FMMO system are long overdue,” said AFBF President Zippy Duvall. “Even before the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted how volatile milk prices and outdated milk pricing and pooling provisions were harming dairy farmers, it was clear the FMMO system needs modernizing to address consolidation in the processing business, shifting consumer preferences and fluctuating trade demands.”

He continued, “We take very seriously Sec. Vilsack’s call to ‘do the hard job of listening to one another’ on Federal Milk Marketing Order reforms and intend to provide a space to do just that. We hope dairy farmers and other leaders will join us in Kansas City this fall for a productive industry-wide discussion on dairy pricing and much-needed changes to the FMMO system.”

Registration is open through Sept. 22. on the Federal Milk Marketing Order Forum website. From the website participants can also view the agenda and secure lodging.