Northeast Dairy Compact Deemed Doomed

By Chris Bracken on Wednesday, September 26, 2001.

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A combination of bad timing and stiff Midwestern opposition is expected to kill the Northeast Dairy Compact. Correspondent Chris Bracken has more.

In a Joint statement issued Tuesday, Vermont's three members of Congress said that they have given up hope the compact can be extended past its expiration date.

Senators Patrick Leahey and James Jeffords as well as Congressman Bernie Sanders GIVE TWO REASONS FOR THE DOOMED LEGISLATION.

THEY POINT TO THE BILLï¿½S stiff opposition from other STATEï¿½S DELEGATIONS.

WHATï¿½S MORE, CONGRESS IS FOCUSSED ON HOW TO RESPOND TO THE EVENTS OF SEPTEMBER 11TH.

AND THAT HAS postponed a vote on next years farm aid bill.

But all three say they are committed to working to reestablish THE DAIRY COMPACT as soon as possible. Sen. Jeffords SPOKESMAN Eric Smulson.

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Designed to keep small dairy farms in business, the compact set a minimum price farmerS are paid for their liquid, or drinking milk.

It charges dairy processors a surcharge when that price falls below a set level.
The program has had a great impact on the region's farmers according to Dan Smith, CHAIR OF THE ________

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Of the compact's 4,600 member farms, SOME 200 are located in New Hampshire and 2,000 are in Vermont.
Midwestern DAIRY farmers oppose the compact, claiming it unfairly limits their access to the New England market.

RON KIND IS A DEMOCRATIC REPRESENTATIVE from Wisconsin and a member of the House Agriculture Committee....TAPE......
KIND wants to replace the compact with a bill that would pay subsidies to farmers and other landowners for not developing their land.

Vermont's Commissioner of Agriculture, Leon Graves PREDICTS the COMPACTï¿½S DEMISE will have a devastating effect on area farms....TAPE.....

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