Mielke bids farewell to dairy journalist Dave Natzke MIELKE, from pg. 31A that would provide dairy farmers with the option of participating in either the existing Milk Income Loss Contract program or the new margin insurance program that was included in both the Senate dairy title and the Goodlatte-Scott amendment that is now the House dairy title. This proposal was revealed several weeks ago by two economics professors, John Newton and Cam Thraen, of Ohio State University’s department of Agricultural, Environmental and Development Economics. “In The Dairy Safety Net Debate of 2013 Part II, Questions and Answers, the professors say combining a modified MILC program with a revised margin insurance program would hold down taxpayer costs and provide a better way forward for dairy than proposals offered by the House and the Senate. “A combination of MILC and margin insurance offers more choices to accommodate the assortment of U.S. dairy farm operations. By limiting both the amount of income support and adverse gaming incentives, our independent analysis reveals MILC-
Insurance could cost significantly less than the currently debated margin insurance programs.” Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., in a press release issued Thursday, said “the House of Representatives’ resounding rejection of supply management provisions in the dairy title of the farm bill speaks loud and clear. ... More than 140 diverse groups have joined with 291 House members, including 95 Democrats, in voicing their opposition to supply management. A supply control program that will directly intervene in markets and increase milk prices will ultimately hurt dairy producers and consumers.” Rep. David Scott, D-Ga., added that the media is portraying the dairy policy debate as a “struggle solely between Speaker Boehner and Ranking Member Peterson. ... Nothing could be further from the truth.” ■ Ending on a sad note, DairyBusiness Update editor Dave Natzke announced his resignation this week. In his final issue Friday, Natzke wrote “It has been my pleasure serving as editor of DairyBusiness
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Update (and its predecessor, Dairy Profit Weekly) for more than 10 years.” “Looking back,” he wrote, “my first issue as editor was June 9, 2003. For those readers with long memories, the topics making the news that week concerned California Department of Food & Agriculture milk pricing policy changes, and the U.S. Food & Drug Administration regulation of new ‘dairy beverage’ standards of identity and how they fit under the federal milk marketing order pricing system. (My how things haven’t changed.) “Things do change, however, and DairyBusiness Update is no exception. I am making a career change, effective Jan. 13, so this will be my last issue as DairyBusiness Update editor.” Dave Natzke is one of the most respected dairy journalists in the country and it has been my pleasure to have worked with him all these years. I wish him well. He can be reached at dnatzke@charter.net. Lee Mielke is a syndicated columnist who resides in Everson, Wash. His weekly column is featured in newspapers across the country and he may be reached at lkmielke@juno.com. ❖
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