USDA Establishes Dairy Advisory Committee, Requests Nominations

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced the creation of a Dairy Advisory Committee that will “play an important role in building a more stable market for dairy production for years to come,” according to an agency news release. The two-year committee will specifically review farm milk price volatility and dairy farmer profitability, and offer suggestions on how USDA can best address these issues to meet the dairy industry’s needs. The 15 members will include producers and producer organizations, processors and processor organizations, handlers, consumers, academia, retailers, and state agencies involved in organic and non-organic dairy at the local, regional, national, and international levels. Nominations will be accepted through September 28, 2009. See USDA News Release, August 25, 2009.