FAIRFAX, Vt.—Rep. Peter Welch outlined new legislation on April 16 designed to prevent volatility in milk prices, reported the Burlington Free Press. The Dairy Price Stabilization Act would require the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to determine the capacity for growth in the dairy market every three months. Producers who exceed the percentage increase allowed by the USDA would pay a fee, which would be distributed to all farmers.
"Following last year's devastating dairy price crisis, the need for a plan to match supply with demand is clear," Welch said. "To delay in addressing the enduring challenges of price volatility is to leave Vermont farmers vulnerable to a system that simply is not working."
The bill would allow farmers to vote on whether to enact the program. After three years, farmers would vote again on whether to continue it.
