NMPF Annual Meeting spotlights farmer progress

ARLINGTON, Texas — U.S. dairy farmers are thriving in the marketplace even as labor shortages and a volatile policy environment remain challenges, dairy industry leaders stressed at the National Milk Producers Federation’s annual meeting.

U.S. dairy is well-positioned for growth, NMPF President and CEO Gregg Doud said in remarks at the meeting held jointly by NMPF, the National Dairy Promotion and Research Board and the United Dairy Industry Association.

“I love where we are in this industry right now, today, folks,” he said, noting $11 billion in new dairy-plant investment currently underway nationwide.

“Yes, there’s going to be uncertainty. My goodness, there’s uncertainty. But we’re in expansion mode. And I love it.”

Dairy producers in the past year have grappled with workforce instability and a shifting trade environment even as consumer demand has remained strong and the benefits of dairy are increasingly recognized in the nutrition and policy communities.

But the firm foundation built for dairy over the past several years bodes well for the industry’s future, said outgoing NMPF Chairman Randy Mooney, who used his remarks to reflect on 17 years leading NMPF’s Board of Directors.

“We’ve built a stronger foundation for dairy farmers across the country by ensuring that each and every day, farmers, no matter the size of their operation are where they call home, have the tools, the support and the representation they need to succeed on their operation for generations to come,” he said.

“We’ve moved the industry forward on major policy fronts, and together, we’ve made collective voice stronger in Washington.”

NMPF’s Board of Directors selected Brian Rexing, an Indiana dairy farmer and a member of the Dairy Farmers of America cooperative, as NMPF’s next chairman.

Featured panelists at the general session included Doud, who appeared with fellow dairy CEOs Barb O’Brien of Dairy Management Inc. and Krysta Harden of the U.S. Dairy Export Council. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins also addressed the meeting.

A session on revenue opportunities for dairy farmers — featuring Katie Cook, vice president of farm animal sustainability at Elanco Animal Health; Mark Purdy, director of product and portfolio management for Meristem Crop Performance; and Joel Ysselstein, general manager of Meadowvale Dairy — also highlighted the event.

The meeting included discussions of dairy workforce challenges, how the “Make America Healthy Again” movement is shaping consumer taste and how AI is upending agriculture.

The annual meeting was held in conjunction with NMPF’s Young Cooperators annual meeting for younger dairy leaders, as well as NMPF’s annual cheese and dairy products competition.

In the contest, the top prize was taken by Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery for its Habanero Ghost Jack, while Lanco Pennland took the overall Reserve Chairman’s award with its Sweet Cheddar.