USDA Proposes Establishing a Federal Milk Marketing Order in California

USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is proposing establishing a Federal Milk Marketing Order (FMMO) regulating the handling of milk in California. 

 

The establishment will be subject to producer approval by referendum. Two-thirds of the eligible producers or producers representing two-thirds of the milk produced in California will need to vote in favor of the FMMO for the FMMO to be established. 

AMS hosted a public meeting on April 10, 2018 at 9:00 a.m. at the Clovis Veterans Memorial District Building in Clovis, California to explain and answer questions relating to the California FMMO. The meeting was webcast for those unable to attend. The webcast is available via YouTube. 

 

The California FMMO proposes that the entire state adopt the same dairy product classification and pricing provisions used in other FMMO systems. Producer quotas would be administered by the CDFA. A FMMO requires handlers of milk within a state to pay minimum class prices according to how the milk is used. For complete details of the California FMMO, see the Federal Register notice. An economic impact analysis is also available for review. 

 

AMS prepared guides for producers and handlers of milk in California. The guides answer common questions posed by producers and handlers regarding FMMOs.  

 

If the federal milk marketing order is established in California, then organic producers may be eligible to opt out of assessments on their certified organic products. 

 

Please contact Erin Taylor at AMS’s Order Formulation and Enforcement Division with questions at erin.taylor@ams.usda.gov or (202) 720-7311.