Farm, Dairy Groups Praise USDA Surplus Cheese Purchases

Agriculture groups and the dairy industry are praising the Agriculture Department’s announcement to reduce surplus cheese stocks in the U.S., a move requested by the American Farm Bureau and others. USDA this week announced it would purchase approximately 11 million pounds of cheese from private inventories and donate the product to food banks and pantries across the nation. The purchase, valued at $20 million, should reduce some downward pressure on dairy markets as dairy producers revenues have dropped 35 percent over the past two years. Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall says the announcement will “help alleviate the tough realities of the market and keep family farmers in business.” Farm Bureau and the National Milk Producers Federation had asked USDA to spend more than $20 million on the purchases, but USDA cited budget restraints, limiting the purchase amount.USDA Secretrary Tom Vilsack also further extended the signup period for the dairy industry safety net—the Margin Protection Program—through December 16th.

Source;  NAFB News