Another cheese state lawmaker tries to choke out imports

Last month, I reported on state Senator Darrel Aubertine’s efforts to block dairy imports – which mostly come in a processed powder form called milk protein concentrates, or MPCs – by changing the rules for product labeling.

Today, the Watertown Daily Times reports Wisconsin U.S. Senator Russell Feingold wants to do the same thing.

This used to be a no-brainer in the New York dairy community. But MPCs aren’t just imports anymore. Dairy processors here see MPCs as a growing market, and they oppose the legislation now.

In other economic news for the struggling dairy industry, agriculture secretary Tom Vilsack announced yesterday will move 200 million pounds of dry milk surpluses into domestic nutrition plans. It’s an effort to ease the glut in the U.S. milk supply, which has caused a drastic drop in the price farmers are paid for their milk.