IDFA continues to enhance its innovative efforts to advocate dairy industry priorities with federal lawmakers. On the heels of four successful strategic fly-ins, IDFA next week is hosting its first strategic "fly-out" in Nampa, Idaho, bringing together Idaho senators and a congressional candidate with leaders from dairy products companies with Idaho operations. These companies include Agropur Cooperative, Albertsons Companies, Brewster Cheese Company, Chobani, Inc., Darigold, Inc., Dean Foods Company, Glanbia Nutritionals, Reed’s Dairy, Inc. and Sorrento Lactalis, Inc.
“Idaho’s dairy products industry has an overall economic impact of $11.4 billion and supports more than 41,000 jobs that generate $2.5 billion in wages,” said Michael Dykes, D.V.M., IDFA president and CEO. “We’re very pleased to bring Idaho’s members of Congress together with their dairy company constituents to share dairy’s impact on Idaho’s economy and discuss the policies needed to ensure dairy’s continued growth and success in Idaho.”
Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, and Sen. Jim Risch, R- Idaho, will participate in the fly-out, along with Russ Fulcher, the Republican candidate for Idaho’s open seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.
The meeting will be held at the Sorrento Lactalis, Inc. facility in Nampa, where members of Congress and company representatives will participate in a tour and roundtable discussion on issues important to Idaho dairy members. Topics will include:
- The importance of trade and the need to remove retaliatory tariffs on U.S. dairy products in markets abroad;
- Progress on the passage of a farm bill that includes dairy priorities;
- Legislation that would ensure that cheesemakers can continue to use the term “natural cheese" on their product labels; and
- Dairy manufacturing’s positive impact on the state’s economy.
The event will be held Nov.7, which is the day after U.S. midterm elections. The congressional leaders and industry representatives plan to discuss the election results and what they may mean for dairy.
