Public comment submitted September 13, 2024 to the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service in response to the Milk in the Northeast and Other Marketing Areas; Proposed Amendments to Marketing Agreements and Orders proposed rule (Docket No. AMS–DA–23–0031).

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“For decades, NFFC has urged Congress and the USDA to significantly change the US dairy system to provide farmers with secure, stable, and fair prices for their production as way to sustain a diverse and extended number of dairy farmers; over time, “[t]he number of licensed U.S. dairy herds fell by more than half between 2002 and 2019, with an accelerating rate of decline in 2018 and 2019,” and we are currently losing over 10% of dairy farmers a year. It is clear that the current system is not working, particularly for those dairy farmers who would like to maintain a management herd and not convert into mega dairy operations. The unintended consequences of policies promoting consolidation in this sector go beyond the farmers and impact rural communities in general.”