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Milk federal order hearing to end soon

A dairy economist says the hearing on the Federal Milk Marketing Orders that began in August is expected to conclude next week.

Chuck Nicholson with the University of Wisconsin tells Brownfield USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service plans to wrap up testimony soon. “What I’ve heard is the intention now is to end the hearing by the second of February at the latest, and then once that happens, there’s a whole series of prescribed things in the federal order regulations about timetables for getting out a recommended decision and a final decision.”

Nicholson says based on what he’s heard from USDA, the agency plans to move the process along, submitting recommendations, a final rule, and a farmer vote yet this year. “I’m guessing that we’re actually going to get to a conclusion of this process by later on this year, maybe even by late summer.”

Some farmers have told Brownfield they didn’t want the hearing to drag on, because it might force the whole process to start over if a new administration is elected this fall.

The hearing on federal orders has been in recess since last Friday, January 19th, and is scheduled to resume Monday in Carmel, Indiana.