On Sept. 12, the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) will be holding a hearing to consider the petition filed last month by California producer organizations. That petition, which used 2012 data, would have raised the Class 4b price by about $0.67 per hundredweight, or an increase of about $0.28 per hundredweight to the Overbase price.
The specifics of the petition are based on aletter sent to Dr. Richard Pan(D-Lodi) from the lobbyists representing the Dairy Institute of California, according to the Milk Producers Council.Under current policy, the value of whey fluctuates between 25 cents and 75 cents per 100 pounds of milk. The compromise would raise the upper end to $1, reported the Merced Sun-Star.
In July, California’s Class 4b price was significantly below the Federal Order Class III price, the benchmark price for milk sold to cheese plants around the country. PD
—Compiled by PD staff from cited sources
Click the links below to read previous articles about the history of CDFA pricing.
The price of milk and California’s Department of Food and Ag
California dairy farmers rally in Sacramento to protest milk prices
