National Milk Producers discuss their FARM program
By Carol Stender
cstender@agrinews.com
Date Modified: 05/06/2010 9:27 AM
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ALEXANDRIA, Minn. — The National Milk Producers Federation has launched its FARM program.
Farmers Assuring Responsible Management is a pro-active NMPF program featuring a uniform on-farm animal well-being program and a third party verification system.
The program demonstrates to outsiders that animals receive a high level of care and that dairy products are high quality and safe.
The program is drawing questions from producers.
NMPF's Betsy Flores is answering those questions. She is traveling the country detailing the National Dairy FARM program, its Dairy Animal Care Manual and a timeline NMPF has established to initiate it.
Flores recently brought her message to Minnesota where, at two Upper Midwest Dairy Industry Association spring meetings, she answered the most common question she receives: Why are dairy organizations implementing the program?
Several companies are already establishing their own quality assurance programs, Flores said. Costco is one of them. The company had a 50 question evaluation that called for visits to every farm selling milk to the company. Producers would pay $500 to $800 for the program.
Costco officials were invited to meet with NMPF and others in the dairy industry where the National Dairy FARM program was displayed. Costco has put its program on hold, Flores said. The company is waiting to see how National Dairy FARM evolves.
Checkoff funds will be used for FARM's education, but the funds can't be used for third-party evaluations.
"We are trying to make it fair for everyone in the program," Flores said. "We are trying to keep the costs as low as possible and trying to make the costs in the tens of dollars rather than the hundreds of dollars."
One farmer asked a question on everyone's mind.
"Since the consumer and businesses are looking for this, and we are volunteering this information, are they willing to accommodate the farmers for more returns," he asked. "After all, business doesn't like to do things for free, either."
NMPF brought the issue up, Flores said. But the businesses see the program as a cost of doing business.
"They aren't expecting to pay into the program, unfortunately," she said. "We knew this was the way it would be, so that's why we thought we could get a national program so we can keep the cost low. Then you won't have a Costco program and a Wal Mart program...There will be one program."
University of Minnesota dairy management instructor Jeff Reneau said the program is a pro-active approach.
"We are playing to win and not playing to lose," he said. "If we aren't pro-active, we are playing to lose. One soundbite and we can lose. We need to be proactive and quit trying to play damage control."
The Dairy Animal Care Manual was rolled out at the World Dairy Expo and the program introduced to the industry and consumers last year.