WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will hold a public hearing starting on Sept. 22, in Clovis to consider the establishment of a Federal Milk Marketing Order (FMMO) for California.
The hearing, which USDA expects to last several weeks, will begin at 9 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time on Sept. 22 at the Clovis Veterans Memorial District Building, 808 Fourth St., Clovis, California 93612. The hearing is open to the public. USDA will hear testimony and receive evidence regarding four proposals for a FMMO in California.
The California dairy industry represents 20 percent of all U.S. milk production and is currently regulated under a state marketing order. The 2014 Farm Bill allows for a California FMMO that recognizes certain state-specific aspects of the current order, if recommended by USDA and approved by California dairy producers. In February, AMS received a formal hearing request from California Dairies, Inc.; Land O Lakes, Inc.; and Dairy Farmers of America, Inc. to establish a FMMO in California. AMS received additional proposals from the Dairy Institute of California, the California Producer Handlers Association, and Ponderosa Dairy. All of the proposals can be viewed at www.ams.usda.gov/CAOrder. USDA has not taken a position on any of the proposals included in the Notice of Hearing, which has been transmitted to the Federal Register and is expected to publish soon.
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