New Legislation May Help Dairy Farms Survive

Congress is hoping to help dairy farmers by introducing legislation that would set a quarterly production amount and provide a base price for milk. The Dairy Market Stabilization Act is expected to provide family farmers with a fair price for their production and keep the 65,000 U.S. dairy farms running. Dairy farmers have been suffering from volatile pricing that has caused many to take on debt or close down. In 2007, the price per hundred pounds of milk reached $21.80. It then fell in 2009 to $11.30. Some farmers need at least $17 to $18 per hundredweight to meet production costs. (CNBC) Read more. (Related articles: WBNG-TV).