LEGISLATIVE WATCH
Dairy Community Leaders Meet Virtually for NMPF/UDIA/NDB Joint Annual Meeting The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF), the National Dairy Promotion and Research Board (NDB) and the United Dairy Industry Association (UDIA) held their annual meeting virtually Oct. 27-28. The meeting was offered at no cost, allowing dairy farmers and others nationwide to participate in the annual policy and promotion leadership gathering.
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he first day of the meeting included a dairy farmer leadership panel focused on lessons learned during unprecedented times, a forecast of the 2020 elections from David Wasserman, House editor for The Cook Political Report, and a moderated town hall with leaders from NMPF.
In his remarks, NMPF President and CEO Jim Mulhern, reflected on the past year and the resiliency of the dairy industry. “This year has posed challenges beyond what any of us could have imagined just one year ago…. challenges on our farms, in our families and to our futures. And yet, the obstacles we’ve faced this year will only make us stronger as we deal with the hardships that, yes, still lie ahead,” he said. “Think back to March, when the COVID-19 crisis began to profoundly change all our lives,” Mulhern continued. “The challenges were
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immediate… and clear. The solutions, less so. At National Milk, as we looked at all of this, there were a few things we knew. We knew that the nation’s dairy farmers and our member cooperatives are essential for the nourishment of those we serve. We knew that the dairy community can be formidable when it pursues its goals with unity and commitment. And we knew that our organization has demonstrated a track record of effectiveness, even in the face of daunting tasks.” “Just as important as protecting our businesses, of course, is protecting our families, and our workers, and our communities, especially during a pandemic. Through the National Dairy FARM program, we quickly made available industry best practices and guidance to help address the crisis, and through our outreach and our coronavirus toolbox on our website, we gave our members – and all dairy farmers – the information they needed
to adjust to dairy farming in this new reality,” he said. “So, what will all this mean in the days ahead?” Mulhern continued. “Well, make no mistake: this crisis is far from over. Without a vaccine, with an uncertain political future, with an economy that still hasn’t found a ‘new normal,’ there’s no happy ending I can share with you today, because we still have a long way to go.” However, Mulhern concluded with a few observations that point toward optimism for the future: • The strength of farmer-owned dairy cooperatives. • The power of unity to allow the dairy industry to achieve goals and prevail. • The importance of lessons the industry has learned on advocating for Dairy Margin Coverage and touting dairy’s positive stewardship story. On the second day of the virtual meeting, a dairy executive panel shared promotion priorities and plans for 2021 and beyond, including how COVID-19 has uncovered and accelerated opportunities for U.S. dairy. Peter Sheahan, founder of Karrikins Group and a globally recognized thought leader, shared his thoughts on how companies develop and sustain a competitive edge. The meeting
