Milk in the Northeast and Other Marketing Areas; Decision on Proposed Amendments to Tentative Marketing Agreement and To Order

Resumo

This decision adopts revised product-price formulas for establishing Class III and Class IV milk prices. The formulas are applicable to all Federal milk marketing orders. The orders amended by this decision require producer approval. Referenda will be conducted in two markets, and dairy farmer cooperatives will be polled in the other nine markets to determine whether dairy farmers approve the issuance of the orders as amended. This final decision differs from the recommended decision by modifying the Class III and IV formulas to include farm-to-plant component losses. Modifications are adopted to the butterfat price formula, the protein price formula, the other solids price formula, and the nonfat milk solids price formula. Additionally, this decision converts the Class III and IV formula divisors to multipliers in order to simplify and promote consistency with all end-product pricing formulas.