Bill Would Give Dairy Farmers Their Due
Richie Davis of the Recorder recently wrote: “A 30-year-old fund set up to protect dairy farmers from losing their milk payments if their processor goes belly up has been swelling like an udder over the years, building interest even though dairy farmers are no longer paying into it.
So legislation now pending in the State House would return about $1 million in interest to about 100 independent farmers who paid into the Milk Producers Security Fund. The bill, filed by Rep. Stephen Kulik, D-Worthington, on behalf of dairy farmers, could return about half of the $2 million fund to the farmers who paid in.
That could break down to $10,000 to $20,000 per farm.
The money, which those farmers have been pressing for, could be better used by them than having it continue to build up in state coffers, Kulik said.
“This would help dairying, which is a tough business,” said Kulik, who filed the bill for a second time this year and help shepherd it through the House Ways and Means Committee, of which he is vice chair. The bill is now awaiting its third reading before being considered by the full House.”
