The Milk Producer - October 2011 - (Page 4)

EDITOR’SNOTES By Bill Dimmick History repeats itself Feuding over orderly marketing among our U.S. neighbours reminds us of supply management history I of the border, you have some sense of what occurred in Canada about 50 years ago. By the early 1960s, many producers had concluded some sort of orderly marketing had to replace the chaos that reigned at the time. However, not everyone agreed, and fierce debates ensued. Now, five decades later, our American friends are locked into similar verbal combat. At issue is a market stabilization plan proposed by the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF). U.S. milk prices have been reasonably healthy of late, but the ugly downturn of a few years ago is still fresh in many memories. It was that downturn in 2009 that prompted several U.S. dairy organizations to rethink how milk markets were working—or not working, actually—and what they could do to fix them. Several proposals came forward. They all essentially want to impose a mechanism to cap production when returns start to tank. The NMPF proposal has been gaining some traction with grassroots U.S. producers and Washington politicians. Yet it’s no surprise the stabilization plan has also garnered a share of outspoken critics who do not want a government or other organization telling them how much milk they can or cannot produce. In July 2010, we recounted some of supply management’s history north of the border in a special issue we entitled The Foundation For Our Future. Interestingly enough, the NMPF called its proposal Foundation for THE I PRO U R TH E MI LK PRODUCER is published monthly RODU e m nthl hly by Dairy Farmers of Ontar o, 6780 Campobello Dai Farmers of Onta airy r tari b Road Mississauga, Ontario, Road, Mississauga, Ontar L5N 2L8 ad, ssis a t EDITOR: ill D m ick EDITOR: Bill Dimmick ITOR ASSISTAN EDIT R ASSISTANT EDITOR: Sharon Laidlaw SISTANT ITOR ai law Co-ordinated by Communications Co-ordinated by Co -ordinat s and Planning Div and Planning Di ision, n Bill itch Bill Mitch Assi tant Director. chell, ssis Chan Chan of address notices should be sent to: ange u be sent to: THE MILK PRODUCER 6780 Campobello Road, Mississauga, Ontario L5N 2L8. s 8 Subsc pt Subscription rate : $26.88 for one year, $49.28 bscr ates ye $49.28 ear, 9 for two years and $67.20 for three years in o w year n r e yea in ears Canada (includes HST), $36 per year in the nada (includes l s U.S. $36 per year overseas. Single copy: $2.50. U.S., $36 per year overs S., r vers Make cheques payab Make cheques payable to Dairy Farmers of heque able iry ir Ontario. Ontario. tari the Future. The federation released its proposal shortly after we published that special issue. The similarities were strictly a coincidence. Similarities of what’s happening in the U.S. to what happened in Canada half a century ago, however, are almost predictable, human nature being what it is. The major U.S. processors’ association immediately dumped on the NMPF proposal when it was first unveiled. Look back and see how many processors supported formation of provincial milk marketing boards in Canada. Back then, some producer groups opposed orderly marketing up here just as they are now in the U.S. Many Ontario fluid milk shippers feared losing lucrative markets with the coming of the new order. The industry experienced plenty of turbulence to be sure. In Ontario, provincial agriculture minister William Stewart knew something had to be done, but hesitated to let producers settle it among themselves—the feuding and bickering would stand in the way of positive progress. Instead, he imposed the Milk Act and created the Ontario t Milk Marketing Board in 1965. Now, 47 years later, 10 provincial organizations have started negotiating a national pooling agreement to help safeguard supply management. We can only wish our neighbours well as they struggle to reach a similar consensus. not constitute endor stitu ndor tute orsement or approval by The or t The Milk Producer or Dairy Farmers of Ontario of f products or services advertised. The Milk Producer welcomes let i oduce cer comes et etters to the e editor about magazine content. bout g bo maga ine content. t t. Phone: (905) 821-8970 ( 0 821-8970 1-89 Fax: (905) 821-3160 (905) 821-3160 1-31 E-mail: bdimmick@milk.org bdimmick milk. immick@m k.o slaidlaw@mil or slaidlaw@milk.org w ilk org Website: Go to publications o at www.milk.org Canada Post Publications Mail Sales Product d tions Mai Sale P oduc a e uct Agreement No. 40063866. Return postage 0063 66. Retu postage 3866 turn o 38 guaranteed. Circulation: 10,000. io 0,000 o 000. ISSN 0030-3038. SS Prin Print d in Canada. inte n nada. a National Nation Marketing Manager tion eting Manager ana James Fitz James Fitzgerald tzg 154 Jean 154 Jean Street, n RR 5, Strat ord, Ontario N5A 6S6 5, Stra ratf Toll-fre Toll-free advertisers only: 1-888-460-6212 ll-free Phone (519) 393-5292 Fax (519) 393-5293 5292 52 51 29 E-m E-mail: milkjim47@quadro.net @quadro n ro.n Opinions expressed herein are those of the ed herein are thos f the erei hose author and/or editor and do not necessarily ditor and not necessarily e aril reﬂect the opinion or policies of Dairy Farmers n or policies of Dair Farmers lici iry of of Ontario. Publication of advertisements does P lication dvert sements does erti ment 4 | October 2011 | MilkPRODUCER http://www.fsc.org http://www.milk.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Milk Producer - October 2011

The Milk Producer - October 2011
Contents
Editor's Notes
DFO Chair's Message
Provincial Perspectives
Dairy Update
Industry Roundup
DFC Promotion
Cover Story
Research
Applied Science
Ruminations
Rearing Replacements
Markets
New 'N' Noted
Back Forty

The Milk Producer - October 2011