Patrick Leahy: “a court decision was issued recently which could throw the entire system of supplying milk to consumers into chaos and…”

“a court decision was issued recently which could throw the entire system of supplying milk to consumers into chaos and could lead to dramatically higher milk prices for consumers. This decision was a runaway ruling that jeopardizes the survival of thousands of dairy farmers outside the Midwest. The current milk marketing order system assures local milk production and reliable supplies of fresh and wholesome local milk. The system is designed, according to the Congressional Research Service, to avoid "shortages of milk," and "to assure consumers of adequate and dependable supplies of pure and wholesome fluid milk." In this respect, America is the envy of many nations in the world which have unreliable milk supplies shipped in from distant locations at high prices because there is no local competition. Price differentials, which were struck down in this decision, help keep local producers in business, help cover the costs of transporting fluid milk, and avoid shortages of milk in supermarkets, according to CRS. Common sense tells us that the cost of producing and transporting milk varies from region to region. A flat pricing system is flat-out wrong. I joined with 47 of my colleagues recently in sending a letter to the Secretary of Agriculture urging him to keep the current system which assures local supplies of fresh milk to millions of American families. The key to this system that has worked so well for decades is under attack--once again--in Minnesota.”