d's Dairy orl In W du e st h r t y g W n i e e v Since 1876 k r e l y S PRECISE, RAPID SHREDS with Urschel CHEESE REPORTER urschel.com Vol. 144, No.44 • Friday, April 17, 2020 • Madison, Wisconsin Feeding America, Ag Groups Push Class III Volume On California Order USDA To Boost Aid To Food Banks Reached New Low, Urgent Need For Food Assistance Expected To being told there is an oversupply Class IV Volume Hit of their product,” the letter said. New High In March Keep Rising; Other Dairy Aid Measures Sought “The unfortunate consequences include public panic about an Folsom, CA—The volume of milk Washington—Dairy and farm million who were food insecure adequate food supply and plunging pooled in Class III on the Califor- organizations, Feeding America prior to the pandemic,” the letter prices for farm produce.” nia federal milk marketing order and numerous lawmakers are urg- continued. USDA has the opportunity to hit a new low in March while the ing US Secretary of Agriculture “We ask USDA to look at how help address both of these unfor- volume of milk pooled in Class Sonny Perdue to help food banks to strengthen existing partner- tunate consequences through IV reached a new high, accord- meet growing demand for food ships with additional investment a voucher program that would ing to the statistical uniform price assistance due to the coronavirus as you identify how to provide deepen the relationships between announcement released Tuesday by pandemic. support to US producers impacted farmers and food banks, allowing the market administrator’s office. “Food banks in many areas are by major shifts in demand toward them to work directly with one The total volume of milk pooled struggling right now to keep up more home-based food consump- another instead of relying upon on the California order in March with demand, with individuals in tion. We also ask you to support third parties and what is some- was 2.036 billion pounds, up about some communities waiting hours innovative partnerships that can times a longer pathway to get food 160 million pounds from Febru- for emergency food distributions,” quickly and efficiently move fluid from farms to food bank shelves, ary (which had two less days) but Feeding America, the Interna- milk and other dairy products into Farm Bureau and Feeding Amer- down about 222 million pounds tional Dairy Foods Association the food bank system as time is of ica said. from March 2019. (IDFA) and the National Milk the essence,” the letter added. “We recognize that regulatory California’s statistical uniform Producers Federation (NMPF) Food banks “are under tremen- flexibility also may be required to price in March was $16.02 per said in an Apr. 10 letter to Perdue. dous pressure” to meet “skyrock- ensure rapid action, and we ask hundredweight, and the producer “With more than 10 million peo- eting demand,” but at the same you to consider it within the con- price differential (PPD) was a neg- ple having filed for unemployment time, “we are seeing literally tons fines of ensuring the safety of the ative 23 cents per hundred. The benefits in March, we believe the of agricultural goods being dis- food being supplied,” the letter Class III price was $16.25 per hun- urgent need for food assistance will carded because of the shutdown of continued. dred, while the Class IV price was continue to increase. so much of the economy,” Feeding “This is an opportunity for $14.87 per hundred and the Class I “Feeding America has analyzed America and the American Farm USDA to act quickly to produce price was $19.56 per hundred. the potential impact of the pan- Bureau Federation noted in an a win for food banks and a win for The volume of milk pooled in demic and we predict up to an Apr. 10 letter to Perdue. farmers. It is a chance for govern- Class III on the California order additional 17.1 million people “Paradoxically, we are seeing a ment to serve as a facilitator while in March totaled just 30.2 million could experience food insecurity, simultaneous surge in demand at pounds, the lowest Class III vol- a 46 percent increase from the 37 a moment when many farmers are • See Feeding America, p. 11 ume in the order’s 17-month his- tory. The previous low was 31.8 million pounds, set in November Perfect Day’s Beta- Trump Issues Guidelines To Help 2019. The Class III utilization per- Lactoglobulin Is Reopen States’ Economies In Phases centage, 1.5 percent, was also the lowest in the order’s history, break- GRAS, FDA Says advice of public health experts. ing the previous record of 1.9 per- College Park, MD—Based on Economic Revival The guidelines set benchmarks cent, also set in November 2019. the information that the company Industry Groups on new cases, testing, and hospi- • See Low Class III Use, p. 4 provided, as well as other informa- tal resources for states to meet to tion available to the agency, the Also Announced proceed toward a phased reopen- US Food and Drug Administration Washington—With calls to ing. Criteria include a downward Volume of Milk Pooled In (FDA) said it has “no questions at reopen at least some segments trajectory in cases presenting Class 3 on California Order this time” regarding Perfect Day’s of the US economy increasing, coronavirus-like symptoms or a March 2019 – MarchImport 2020; millions of lbs conclusion that its Beta-lactoglob- President Trump on Thursday downward trajectory in positive 1500 ulin is generally recognized as safe issued new guidelines to enable tests. 1400 (GRAS) under its intended condi- individual states to reopen in Earlier Thursday, Trump and 1300 tions of use. phases using a deliberate, data- members of his administration 1200 FDA had received the GRAS driven approach. hosted calls with bipartisan 1100 1000 notice submitted by Perfect Day, Under the guidelines, states House and Senate members serv- 900 a pioneer in the manufacture of will reopen one step at a time, ing on the Opening Up America animal-free “dairy” products, last 800 rather than all at once. The Again Congressional Group. May. Perfect Day then submitted 700 guidelines will empower gover- The dialogue between Trump, several amendments to the notice senior administration officials, 600 nors to tailor the phased reopen- 500 last year and in January of this year. and the bipartisan congressional ing to address the situation in 400 The subject of Perfect Day’s group included a range of topics their state. 300 notice is B-lactoglobulin produced including the need for additional The “Guidelines for Opening 200 by Trichoderma reesei for use as funding for the Paycheck Protec- Up America Again” are a three- 100 • See Perfect Day, p. 6 phased approach based on the • See Reopening Economy, p. 6 0 Mar May July Sep Nov Jan Mar Page 2 CHEESE REPORTER April 17, 2020 Past Issues Read this week’s issue EDITORIAL COMMENT EDITOR’S NOTE or past issues of Cheese Reporter on CHEESE REPORTER will be making your mobile phone or the entire weekly publication available tablet by scanning this QR code. online for everyone with limited access DICK GROVES Cheese Reporter Publishing Co. Inc. ©2020 to their office during this period. 2810 Crossroads Drive, Suite 3000 Locate the issue by scanning the QR Publisher / Editor Madison, WI 53718-7972 Code on this page or by visiting: (608) 246-8430 • Fax (608) 246-8431 Cheese Reporter http://www.cheesereporter.com e: [email protected] www.cheesereporter.com/ DICK GROVES tw: @cheesereporter weeklyissue.htm Publisher/Editor e-mail: [email protected] 608-316-3791 MOIRA CROWLEY USDA Seems To Be Of Limited Help During This Crisis Specialty Cheese Editor USDA’s Agricultural Marketing heck of a lot of frustration as these e-mail: [email protected] The US Department of Agricul- 608-316-3793 ture is certainly under a tremen- Service released a trade mitiga- reports correspond to reports of KEVIN THOME dous amount of pressure these days. tion solicitation seeking a total of lots of milk being dumped around Advertising & Marketing Director In addition to its many “normal” 869,400 pounds of String cheese. the US. e-mail: [email protected] functions, the agency is now being The agency accepted bids under Perhaps we’re being naive here 608-316-3792 bombarded with requests from gen- that solicitation until Feb. 11, in suggesting that USDA should BETTY MERKES eral farm groups, specific commod- and then award notifications were be moving more quickly in procur- Classifieds/Circulation Manager e-mail: [email protected] ity organizations and politicians for released on Feb. 13, or two weeks ing dairy products. But the agency 608-316-3790 help, in various forms, due to the after it issued the solicitation. itself noted, in August of 2018, REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS: significant and ongoing fallout due And, perhaps most notably, and that, under the first Food Purchase Jen Pino-Gallagher, Bob Cropp, Brandis to the coronavirus pandemic. disturbingly, the delivery period for and Distribution Program, it would Wasvick, Dan Strongin, John Umhoefer Obviously, these are unprec- that String cheese is April, May purchase known commodities first; You can e-mail our contributors at: [email protected] edented times for everybody in and June. procurement of commodities that agriculture, including at USDA. In other words, under this trade have been sourced in the past can The Cheese Reporter is the official But unfortunately for the dairy mitigation purchase, it took two be purchased more quickly and publication of the following associations: industry, it appears, at least at this months from the time the solicita- included in the first phase.