"Secretary Johanns told me he would look into what the Agriculture Department could do administratively to help Pennsylvania dairy farmers through existing programs, faster payments under the MILC program, or other solutions," said Senator Casey. "My amendment would provide new emergency relief for dairy farmers. While visiting Pennsylvania dairy farms, I heard the struggles of dairy farmers who are facing increased costs of production that threaten their livelihood. Without relief, more dairy farms may join the 250 to 350 dairy farms that go out of business every year in Pennsylvania. I am pursuing both a short-term and long-term strategy through the Farm Bill reauthorization to assist Pennsylvania dairy farmers."
Senator Casey's amendment to the Supplemental Appropriations bill would provide Pennsylvania dairy farmers with a payment of $2.50 per hundredweight of milk produced over the past six months. This amendment would provide approximately $125 million to help Pennsylvania dairy farmers cope with increased energy costs, feed costs, and other rising costs of production.
Senator Casey is a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee. One of his top priorities on the Committee is to help craft a Farm Bill that provides fair treatment for Pennsylvania dairy farmers.
