California Dairies, Inc. (CDI), Dairy Farmers of America Western Area (DFA) and Land O’Lakes, Inc. (LOL) have submitted a petition to the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) requesting an emergency public hearing to consider a change to the Class 4b pricing formula. The petition specifically requests a temporary modification to the sliding scale that translates market prices for dry whey into higher monetary contributions to the California Class 4b price. This change to the Class 4b milk pricing formula would remain in place for 12 months and would represent the full value of whey as contained in the federal class III pricing formula.
Western United Dairymen filed a similar petition earlier this year that was denied by the CDFA after a hearing on May 30 and June 1.Click here to read CDFA's reasons for denying the previous petition.
Following the denial, legal action was filed in the Superior Court of California – San Bernardino County, stating that CDFA failed to follow the law in refusing to bring California’s Class 4b price into better alignment with the prices being paid by cheese manufacturers around the country.
The writ was filed on behalf of the Milk Producers Council, Dairy Farmers of America, Security Milk Producers Association and California Dairy Campaign.
Click here to read more about the legal action filed Aug. 31.
CDFA Secretary Karen Ross has 15 days to respond to the new petition’s hearing request. If a hearing is granted, it could be held as early as Dec. 1. PD
—Compiled from California Dairies, Inc. news release and other sources
