FMMO 7

Proposal for Multiple Component Pricing in Southeast Withdrawn

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National All-Jersey has withdrawn their request  for a USDA-AMS Dairy Program FMMO Hearing to consider implementation of Multiple Component Pricing for the Southeast (FMMO 7) and Appalachian (FMMO 5) Milk Marketing Orders.
The withdrawal of this proposal culminates a process of several years of discussion and evaluations by producer groups and several dairy cooperatives on how Multiple Component Pricing in the Southeast might affect producer pay checks.
Following is the timeline of this spring’s events:
April 2, 2018: National All-Jersey submitted their 80-page proposal  requesting a hearing.
May 2, 2018:  USDA-AMS then posted an Action Plan.
May 16, 2018: An information session was held in Knoxville, in Knoxville, TN, which was coordinated by Tennessee and Kentucky Farm Bureaus.  The session was recorded in two parts, and each are available for viewing:
  • Part 1:  A 1 hr – 39 minute video recorded by TN Farm Bureau (Dana Coale, explaining FMMO process)
  • Part 2:  A 1 hr. 14  minute video recorded by TN Farm Bureau  (FMMO Administrators and officials explaining the specifics of the process leading to acceptance or denial of an MCP hearing)
June 1, 2018:  Two additional proposals were submitted to USDA-AMS:
  1. A  7-page request from Michael Brown, Director, Dairy Supply Chain for Kroger, stated: “We ask USDA to also include the a proposal to lower the minimum amount of Class I Sales required a distributing plant to achieve pooling status from 50% to 25%. “
  2. The Tennessee Dairy Producers Association, with Stan Butt as Executive Director, submitted a 16-page proposal in opposition to Multiple Component Pricing, with this opening statement:  “Opposition to the proposal submitted by NAJ to changing the current pricing structure in FMMOs 5&7 is based on the proposition that the majority of producers in both orders will be negatively affected.”
June 11, 2018:  A letter-to-the-editor written by John Harrison, Sweetwater Valley Farm in opposition to Multiple Component Pricing was posted by Progressive Dairyman.
June 28, 2018:  The letter withdrawing the Hearing request,  written by Erick Metzger, General Manager of National All-Jersey, posted at USDA-AMS – Dairy Program,  contains these statements:

 
“Marketing conditions in the Appalachian and Southeast Federal Order Marketing Areas are in a state of flux, aggravated by challenging national dairy product markets.
 
The proponents therefore withdraw their proposal for a multiple component pricing hearing in Orders 5 and 7 at this time.”
The letter closes with:
 “We anticipate resubmitting the proposal when the current marketing  challenges have stabilized and resources necessary to advance the proposal again become available.
Here is the letter in its entirety:
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All USDA-FMMO processes are directed and defined by a set of rules, including procedural rules.  It is up to farmers themselves – those most affected by FMMO rules and regulations – to learn the process, and to participate in the process. 
This spring, and the preceding years and months of information seeking, are an example of civil discourse which can occur.
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Multiple Component Pricing for FMMOs 5 & 7; A Meeting, Action Plan, Information

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Will Multiple Component Pricing be implemented in the Appalachian (FMMO 5)  and Southeast (FMMO 7) Milk Orders?
Multiple Component Pricing, a way to value milk at the farm level based on components found in milk (protein, butterfat, and other non-fat solids),  rather than the skim/butterfat pricing currently implemented, is on the table for the two geographically largest milk orders in the Southeast United States.
Florida and Arizona do not price milk based on MPC, and those areas are not included in this current request for change.
An April 2nd request for a hearing to evaluate the implementation of Multiple Component Pricing for Federal Milk Marketing Order 5 (Appalachian) and FMMO 7 (Southeast) was filed with USDA-AMS by National All-Jersey, Inc.  The 86-page document can be reviewed here.
A great article concisely summing up the request and important factors has been written by Dave Natzke of Progressive Dairyman; read his perspective at this link.
The Tennessee and Kentucky Farm Bureaus have joined together to host an information meeting before the request for Multiple Component Pricing is fully evaluated; A Federal Order Hearing on the matter is tentatively scheduled for July 30, 2018
This May 16th meeting provides producers with a means of direct contact with FMMO officials who can explain not only the MCP proposal, but milk market pricing in detail, and how producers’ milk checks are affected by various market factors.
The details about this FB Information meeting, scheduled for May 16th in Knoxville, TN, are:
What:  Meeting with Dana Coale, Deputy Administrator for USDA -AMS Dairy Programs, along with several officials of Market Administrator Offices in Federal Orders 5 & 7
For:  Any dairy farmer in Federal Milk Marketing Orders 5 & 7
Organizers:  Meeting has been organized by TN and KY Farm Bureau organizations
Several state Farm Bureaus have been involved in dairy farm matters in the past few months – please give them a THANK YOU!)
Date: Wednesday, May 16, Knoxville TN  11:00 am
Time:  Sandwich Lunch @ 11 am; Lunch begins promptly at Noon EDT
Where: University of TN Ag Campus, Hollingsworth Auditorium. Plant Sciences Bldg.
             2505 East J. Chapman Drive; Knoxville, TN  37996
For:  Any dairy farmer in Federal Milk Marketing Orders 5 & 7
Purpose:  To discuss current market procedures and proposed market changes
RSVP / Register by May 11th: 
        Roxann Sanders – Email at rsanders@tfbf.com – OR
                                      Phone at 931-388-7872, ext 2231

The Invitation Letter and Announcement:

Jeff Aiken, TN Farm Bureau President, and Mark Haney, Kentucky Farm Bureau President, co-authored this meeting invite, which was also mailed to dairy producers:
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The Meeting’s suggested agenda:

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Following the announcement of these Knoxville, TN meetings, USDA-AMS has posted an “Action Plan” with a proposed calendar of activity related to Multiple Component Pricing.  Please note additional proposals can be accepted until June 1st!
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Resources for Additional Consideration  (Highly suggested reading!!!):

Multiple Component Pricing (MCP) first began taking place in the Federal Order System in the Great Basin Milk Marketing Order in 1988.  [The Great Basin Order is referenced in this 2002 testimony to a Western Milk Marketing Order Hearing.]
Since that time, several orders have consolidated, but the great majority of the United States dairy producers are paid on a MCP basis.  At this time, this map generally defines the geographic locations of FMMOs across the United States, however, California was conducting a producer referendum, in which voting ended on May 5th to finalize entry into the Federal Order System:
FederalMilkMarketingOrderAreas
Producer groups in the southeast, including the Kentucky Dairy Development Council, the Georgia Milk Producers Association, and the North Carolina Dairy Producers, have endorsed a Multiple Component Pricing structure.  The Tennessee Dairy Producers Association is currently opposed (as of May 10th).
Each and every producer should take the time (and it may take a few hours) to evaluate Component Pricing and how it will affect your farm’s income in the future!  Isn’t your farm’s future worth that time?
AND – each producer is highly encouraged to attend the May 16th meeting in Knoxville to have a chance to ask direct questions to USDA-AMS officials.
Your future income depends on accurate information – please make the most of this meeting opportunity!
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