USDA is their calculations of the amount of milk used in America do not count imported dry dairy proteins, such as milk protein concentrate (MPC) of caseins. Caseins are the main protein found in milk. Should they be counted? Well, it takes milk to produce those products.
I have not done the calculations for March because the import data just came out today. However, for January and February 2009, the amount of milk required to produce the imported caseins and MPCs, would amount to over 7% of U.S. production.
The January through March trade data presents an interesting picture. There is a negative trade balance of -$167.1 million dollars.
In each month of this year, we imported casein from India. It seems as if it is not enough to tech jobs and telemarketing taken over by India, but why dairy?
Before blaming India, remember, it is American executives and not Indian national making these decisions.
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I believe that one of the first steps to returning the dairy industry in this country to profitability is to reduce or eliminate most dairy imports and return the US market to the US producers. To do this Congress needs to impose very high duties or tariffs on all dairy imports including MPC and casein and even processed products with large percentages of dairy in them. When the "free traders" and WTO cry we need to turn a deft ear. This needs to be done; not only for the good of dairy but in the best interest of the country as a whole.
ReplyDeleteMany dairymen have put the blinders on and try not to think about the low milk prices, waiting for it to turn around. I believe that even if milk production in this country drops several percent, the price may not rebound all that much. We sat by last fall when the USDA changed the make allowance; we stand by now as our bills mount and many in our family of dairymen are hurt beyond repair.
There are only about 9 million dairy cows in this country and collectively we own them all. Wouldn't you agree it's about time we put a little pressure on the lever we have? We have all the control and power we need to change our own destiny, we just need to be men enough to do it, and do it together.
Tlaundry@frontiernet.net