State Senator Donald E. Williams, Jr.
March 12, 2008
Senate President Joins Press Conference With Dairy Farmers From Northeastern Connecticut
Senator Donald E. Williams, Jr. says the legislature should work with Governor Rell to help dairy farmers
Senator Donald E. Williams, Jr. and Peter Orr of Fort Hill Farm in Thompson, joined by Daisy the dairy cow at a press conference in front of the Legislative Office Building in Hartford
Hartford: State Senate President Donald E. Williams, Jr. (D-Brooklyn) joined Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, State Senator Edward Meyer (D-Guilford), state representatives, farmers from Northeastern Connecticut, and Daisy the Dairy Cow to rally support for dairy farmers in Connecticut.
According to CTMilk.org, dairy farmers are currently losing nearly 90 cents on every gallon of milk they sell to wholesalers due to a combination of high costs of production and a historically low federally mandated milk price that they receive.
"Connecticut's dairy industry is a bed-rock of our economy,” said Senator Williams. “These farmers here today and their brethren are responsible for over a billion dollars of economic activity in Connecticut each year, as well as thousands of jobs throughout the state. Particularly in these difficult economic times, this is a home grown industry that we simply cannot afford to lose.
Attorney General Richard Blumenthal agreed saying something must be done: “Something is desperately wrong with the milk market picture: Milk consumers are paying vastly more, but dairy farmers are receiving significantly less. Connecticut faces a critical choice — join other states to pressure Congress to reinstate the Northeast Dairy Compact or adopt a state law to reduce retail price gouging while providing financial assistance to dairy farmers,” Blumenthal added. “Action is vital to preserve dairy farming — a key Connecticut industry. High milk prices make it less affordable, especially to the poor — and also mean higher costs for taxpayer-supported programs that subsidize milk and other healthy food purchases.”
For the past several years, the legislature and the Rell administration have worked together to support our dairy farmers. Under Senator Williams’ leadership, the state has allocated millions of dollars of economic support, and produced the report that shows the irreplaceable economic value of the industry.
“There is no question putting local milk on our kitchen tables is good for the economy and good for our families,” said Senator Williams. “It is important that Connecticut's dairy farms don't get plowed over by global economic forces that are beyond their control. I ask the Governor to continue working with us, legislators from both chambers and parties, to help craft a solution."
That thought was echoed by Lucy Nolan, Executive Director of End Hunger Connecticut! “Kids get milk at school, through coupons for WIC — drink your milk is part of our mantra as parents. We need to ensure that our children, pregnant women, our schools have milk and dairy products to keep them strong and healthy. It must be affordable and available,” she says. “Best estimates say Connecticut has a 2-3 day supply of food in case of an emergency — our farms, our dairy farmers, and Daisy, may be all we have to keep disaster at bay.”
There are several proposed bills under consideration that would help the dairy industry in Connecticut. For more information on the campaign to save the dairy industry in Connecticut visit www.ctmilk.org.
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Senator Williams’ |
Listing of Senator Williams’ recent press releases and a Press Kit with official head shots and bio. |
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