Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) today praised Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack’s announcement that USDA will increase payments to dairy farmers through the Dairy Product Price Support Program (DPPSP).
 
Dairy prices are lower today than any point in nearly 30 years, causing dairy farmers nationwide to lose money and threatening rural communities.  Dairy farmers in California lose about $7 for every hunderweight of product, and some farmers are losing up to $100 per cow every month.
 
Earlier this month, Senator Boxer along with 19 of her colleagues wrote to Secretary Vilsack and urged him to increase DPPSP payments to help dairy farmers recoup losses.
 
Senator Boxer said, “Dairy farmers in California and across the country have gone through very difficult times, and we must support them.  I commend Secretary Vilsack for taking this critical step to help dairy farmers and agricultural communities.”

Earlier this year, Senator Boxer spoke with Secretary Vilsack about the need help alleviate the problems facing California’s dairy farmers due to falling milk prices.  She is committed to working with the Administration to ensure that helping dairy farmers remains a top USDA priority.

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