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Long- and Short-term Approaches to Boosting Dairy Industry are Proposed
For Immediate Release: September 28, 2006
Contact: Jeff Beach
(609) 292-5531

(TRENTON) – The New Jersey Department of Agriculture today filed its plan for improving the viability of the state’s dairy industry with the Secretary of State’s Office.

A combination of short-term stabilization and long-term market improvement measures were proposed in the statement filed by, Al Murray, the Department’s Director of Marketing and Development, acting in his capacity as the state Director of Milk Control.

The decision came after a series of two hearings, the first at Rutgers University on July 24 and the second at the Rutgers EcoComplex in Columbus, Burlington County, on August 29-31.

Central to the Department’s long-term approach is an expanded reporting system for all entities licensed to deal milk in New Jersey that promises to yield financial information necessary to develop a comprehensive pricing system throughout the market chain and improve enforcement of existing regulations. In the short term, the Department is ordering additional payments be made to dairy producers that will address their increased fuel costs and the increased costs related to the market demand for  “rBST-free” milk that does not contain added hormones to increase production.

A copy of the full decision document is available by contacting the New Jersey Department of Agriculture at 609-292-8896 or on the web at http://www.nj.gov/agriculture/pdf/HearingDecision2.pdf.