USDA Issues Decision on Producer-Handler Exemption

Posted by Brian Gould Tue, 20 Oct 2009 13:57:00 GMT

The U.S. Department of Agriculture last Friday announced a recommended decision to make milk price regulations consistent for all dairy processors, including producer- handlers who own farms and process milk.  The recommended decision would make producer-handlers with more than three million pounds of Class I sales per month in federal milk marketing areas fully regulated and subject to all pricing and pooling provisions.   Currently, only producer-handlers in two federal orders, the Pacific-Northwest and Arizona marketing areas, are limited in the volume of Class I sales they may have without being subject to these provisions. For a preliminary version of the Federal Register record click here.