Pressure is growing on the Republican-led House of Representatives to pass its version of the 2012 Farm Bill after the Senate approved its version in late June. The Senate, controlled by Democrats, trimmed a number of farm subsidy programs, cutting the deficit by a reported $23 billion. Conservatives in the House are seeking even deeper cuts, especially in the federal food stamp program.

 

Dairy processors have expressed concern that the House version of the Farm Bill may contain the Dairy Market Stabilization Program, under which the government could act to keep milk prices from falling below certain levels. 

 

“If this program becomes law, dairy food manufacturers will shoulder a new, complex and costly regulatory burden, and future investment in the industry and export opportunities will be stifled,” the International Dairy Foods Association says.

 

The association is backing the Goodlatte/D. Scott Amendment to the bill, which it says would provide a safety net for dairy producers without interfering in the marketplace.