The Honorable Mitch McConnell
Majority Leader
United States Senate
317 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
The Honorable Chuck Schumer
Democratic Leader
United States Senate
322 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
Dear Senators McConnell and Schumer:
Thank you for the assistance you’ve provided to the nation’s dairy farmers by providing funds for the purchase and donation of milk and dairy products to food banks and other relief organizations. The economic health of so many of our rural communities relies on a sound farming sector. The CARES Act hasn’t made anybody whole but it has helped many farm families avoid catastrophe.
The nutrition in those donated dairy products is even more important to the health of the U.S. population than ever before as so many more families struggle with food insecurity after a provider has lost a job. The lines at food banks tell the story. There is still more to be done to help get the country through this economic crisis.
As the Senate looks toward a next round of relief for farmers and ranchers and assistance for families looking for help to put food on the table, please keep dairy at the top of the list. The nutrition bang for the federal dollar from milk and dairy foods is unmatched. Demand for dairy at food banks and in other assistance programs clearly suggests people like the products and want more of them. And dairy farmers, who were just starting to see some rays of hope for economic stability in 2020 when the pandemic hit, could use the help that would come from product being moved out of inventory and onto breakfast, lunch and dinner tables all across the country.
The weekly number of new unemployment claims may have leveled off but having enough food on the table continues to be an unfamiliar struggle for tens of millions of Americans. Food assistance remains a top priority as the country works its way through this public health crisis.
It is also important for the economic health of rural America that we emerge from the pandemic without large inventories of dairy products that would significantly delay a recovery in farm milk prices. Sales of dairy products intended for foodservice establishments dropped dramatically when recommendations to follow social distancing closed nearly all dine-in restaurants in the country. The industry has adjusted and more and more product is now packaged for home consumption. But large inventories of products like cheese and butter made just before restaurants closed are still in storage. With additional relief funds, those can either be repackaged and donated to food banks for distribution for home use or donated to relief organizations preparing large amounts of food daily to help those in need.
As you look at additional ways to help the country through this public health crisis, our dairy farmers encourage you to keep other countries struggling with food insecurity for their citizens in mind as well. We have worked to develop markets for U.S. dairy in many of those countries and our suppliers will be back in those markets as soon as customers there are ready to buy again. In the meantime, having the flexibility to donate U.S. dairy to hungry people in other countries in ways that do not risk disrupting potential commercial sales will reduce inventory here and keep our products front and center with consumers there.
Thank you again for the assistance provided to dairy producers who have seen much lower farm milk prices as a result of the response to coronavirus. As you consider additional assistance for the nation, please continue to make dairy product purchases and donations a big part of the plan.
Sincerely,
James Boyle
President
