Milk in the Northeast and Other Marketing Areas; Final Decision on Proposed Amendments to Marketing Agreements and Orders and Termination of a Portion of the Proceeding

Résumé

This document is the final decision proposing to permanently adopt changes to the manufacturing cost allowances and the butterfat yield factor used in Class III and Class IV product-price formulas applicable to all Federal milk marketing orders. These amendments were adopted by an interim final rule issued on, July 25, 2008, that became effective on October 1, 2008. This document also terminates the proceeding with regard to additional proposals that addressed the collection of manufacturing cost information, the use of an energy cost adjustor and providing for a cost add-on feature to Class III and Class IV product-price formulas. The orders amended by this decision require producer approval. Referenda will be conducted in three markets and dairy farmer cooperatives will be polled in the other seven markets to determine whether dairy farmers approve the issuance of the orders as amended.