Penn State Ag Sciences Newsline -- May 22, 2007

High-tech dairy price reporting system could help beleaguered milk producers (:43)

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Suggested Intro:

AS MILK PRICES CONTINUE TO RISE, GOVERNOR RENDELL IS CALLING FOR FEDERAL DAIRY REFORMS TO STABILIZE THE MARKET. AND AN EXPERT IN PENN STATE'S COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES AGREES THAT ONE THING THAT COULD HELP MILK PRODUCERS IS MORE INFORMATION. GARY ABDULLAH REPORTS:

Story:

(:16) MILK PRODUCERS ARE FRUSTRATED BY TODAY'S ARCANE PRICE-REPORTING SYSTEM, WHICH MAKES THEM WAIT UP TO TWO WEEKS BEFORE THEY KNOW HOW MUCH THEY'LL GET FOR THEIR PRODUCT. PENN STATE DAIRY ECONOMIST KEN BAILEY SAYS KNOWING THE REAL PRICE OF MILK IS CRITICAL TO DEVELOPING A MODERN, STABLE MARKET:

Bailey Actuality:
(:16) "FARMERS WANT TO KNOW HOW IS MY MILK PRICE DETERMINED, WHERE DOES THE PRICE COME FROM. WHEN THOSE MILK PRICES ARE REPORTED EACH DAY, THERE OUGHT TO BE A DIRECT RELATION BETWEEN THAT AND WHAT THE FARMER GETS IN THEIR MILK CHECK, AND WE NEED TO TAKE OUT ALL THE MYSTERY AND ALL THE LAGS AND THE DELAYS, SO THAT PRODUCERS KNOW WHAT THEY'RE GETTING FOR THEIR MILK."

(:11) BAILEY SAYS MILK PRODUCERS SHOULD DEMAND THAT AN INTERNET-BASED TRACKING SYSTEM - LIKE THE ONE THE U-S-D-A CREATED FOR THE BEEF INDUSTRY - BE INCLUDED IN THE UPCOMING FEDERAL FARM BILL. FROM PENN STATE, I'M GARY ABDULLAH.

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Learn more:

Growth and Opportunity for the U.S. Dairy Industry: Recommendations from Secretary Wolff’s Dairy Policy Round Table Discussion (College of Agricultural Sciences publication in PDF format -- Adobe Acrobat Reader required)

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