July 6, 2009
COMMISSIONER MEETS WITH USDA SECRETARY VILSACK
Emphasizes the Need for Assistance for Dairy Farmers at Concord, NH Meeting
New York State Agriculture Commissioner Patrick Hooker today met with the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack at a town hall meeting in Concord, New Hampshire, where he joined other Northeast agriculture commissioners, emphasizing the serious need for assistance for dairy farmers in New York State and across the nation.
At his first face-to-face meeting with the Obama administration official, the Commissioner thanked Secretary Vilsack for the leadership he has already provided the dairy industry and asked for more direct assistance, explaining the dire need for help on behalf of the State’s 6,200 dairy farmers.
Commissioner Hooker specifically requested Secretary Vilsack to support an immediate and retroactive increase to the Milk Income Loss Contract (MILC) safety net program, as well as a minimum six-month interest-free extension or debt forgiveness on USDA loans. Both of these actions would bring immediate relief to dairy farmers, as they experience the perfect storm of high input costs and protracted low milk prices.
A surprise announcement by Secretary Vilsack in New Hampshire today was his pledge to form an advisory group to recommend changes to the federal milk pricing system for fairness for farmers and to help promote profitability and stability in the dairy industry. This is a concept that Commissioner Hooker and his counterparts in Vermont and Pennsylvania, as part of the Northeast Dairy Leadership Team, suggested to the Secretary in a letter sent earlier this year.
I thought that said "Patriotic Hooker" and it was a scandal story!
ReplyDeleteWell, that sounds all well and good but another "advisory" group... This country is choking on "advisory" groups. We need someone to get into DC and do the Heimlich.....
ReplyDeleteYes, well....I'm glad to hear Iowa's former governor is out and about meeting with dairy farmers. My husband has very little confidence in Vilsack, but hopefully the Secretary will surprise him by taking action to help dairy farmers ASAP.
ReplyDeleteTroll, now that would have been something!!
ReplyDeleteWW, yeah, advisory groups don't do much do they...just a sop to shut people up. Still, I thought this was a meaningful move on Mr. Hooker's part.
Jeanelle, not too sure about Vilsack either, but I really like Pat Hooker. The first time I met him was at his office when he worked at Farm Bureau and I learned more at an hour chatting by his desk than I did in half of high school. A really knowledgeable man who really gets it and has farmers' interests at heart.