FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 2, 2016
Contact: Andrew Jerome, 202-314-3106
ajerome@nfudc.org
WASHINGTON (June 2, 2016) – For more than 75 years, milk and dairy products have been promoted every June in celebration of National Dairy Month. As consumers indulge in their favorite dairy products this month, National Farmers Union (NFU) is taking a step back to the farm gate to recognize the hardworking family farmers who are involved in dairy production across the U.S.
“National Dairy Month provides a great platform to educate consumers about U.S. dairy production and promote industry initiatives – such as the REAL® Seal – to dispel misinformation about dairy foods,” said Roger Johnson, president of NFU, an organization representing nearly 200,000 family farmers and ranchers nationwide, including members in nine of the top 10 milk producing states.
Created as a way to promote milk consumption in the late 1930s, National Dairy Month has evolved into an annual celebration of the dairy industry – an industry rooted by family farms nationwide, Johnson explained.
Unfortunately, the dairy industry has not been immune to the lagging farm economy that has impacted much of the farm sector. NFU, with the guidance of its members, is working with stakeholders to properly align the needs of dairy farmers with the existing safety net in order to ensure that dairy farmers are able to continue for future generations.
“Family dairy producers have faced an extended period of low milk prices and surplus production while adapting to policy changes that have provided little relief to the producer,” Johnson said.
Johnson added that it’s important to differentiate between the price of milk at the grocery store and the price of milk received by the dairy farmer. For a gallon of milk, farmers receive less than 35 percent of the cost the consumer pays.
The supply chain from the farm to the food aisle can leave consumers far removed from how their food is produced. This National Dairy Month, NFU encourages consumers to thank the dairy farmers producing milk on their farms in every state.
National Farmers Union has been working since 1902 to protect and enhance the economic well-being and quality of life for family farmers, ranchers and rural communities through advocating grassroots-driven policy positions adopted by its membership.
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