Rep. Slaughter, Other House Members Come Together to Focus on Dairy Farmers

Washington, DC – Today, Rep. Louise M. Slaughter (D-NY-28) announced that she will join more than 50 other members of Congress in focusing on improving the condition of the nation’s dairy farmers. Slaughter and others announced the formation of the Congressional Dairy Farmers Caucus.  Dairy farmers across the nation have struggled as the steep fall of milk prices has resulted in their production costs exceeding the selling price.

“Milk prices have plummeted this year, and New York’s nearly 6,000 dairy farmers are facing tremendous hardship as a result. The formation of the Congressional Dairy Farmers Caucus should assure farmers across New York that my colleagues and I are committed to serving as their voice in Congress, and reevaluating the effectiveness of the policies that ensure their livelihood,” Rep. Slaughter said.

Dairy farmers play a vital role in the nation’s economy. There are nearly 70,000 dairy farms nationwide, approximately 99 percent of which are family-owned. Dairy farmers produce more than 170 billion pounds of milk annually and contribute tens of billions of dollars to the U.S. economy every year.

###