Dairy industry leaders are celebrating after the House Agriculture Committee moved forward with new farm legislation that includes several important benefits for milk producers and their cooperatives across the country.
The National Milk Producers Federation expressed gratitude to committee members for their bipartisan support of the 2026 House Farm Bill, which was introduced by Committee Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson, a Republican from Pennsylvania.
“We applaud Chairman Thompson and members of the House Agriculture Committee for advancing the 2026 House Farm Bill, which includes key provisions that support and strengthen the dairy industry,” said Gregg Doud, president and CEO of NMPF. “We stand ready to work with members of both the House and Senate on a bipartisan basis to pass a farm bill this year that will provide critical support for dairy farmers and their cooperatives.”
The legislation includes numerous provisions that the dairy federation had been pushing for, including approval for extended studies on dairy processing costs and continuation of several existing programs. The bill extends the Dairy Forward Pricing Program, Dairy Indemnity Program, and Dairy Promotion and Research Program.
Environmental conservation efforts also received attention, with the bill backing voluntary conservation initiatives like the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). The measure maintains dedicated conservation funding for livestock operations and directs states to prioritize methane reduction practices.
Trade protections represent another significant component, with the bill creating a permanent policy requiring the federal government to actively negotiate safeguards for common cheese names such as “parmesan” and “feta” in international agreements.
The legislation also shifts administration of the Food for Peace program to the U.S. Department of Agriculture while maintaining $200 million in yearly funding for Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Foods containing milk powder to address global malnutrition.
Additional measures include redirecting export promotion funds from last year into established farm bill programs like the Market Access Program, and creating new opportunities for farmers to work with local food distributors to supply fresh products, including dairy items, to community institutions.
The bill expands the Dairy Nutrition Incentive Program to cover full-fat milk, hard cheeses, and yogurt, while also broadening the REAP Program to include farmer-owned cooperatives with fewer than 2,500 employees.
Mental health support for agricultural workers continues through reauthorization of the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network, and safety improvements advance through the continued ROPS Rebate Program, which provides cost-sharing grants for installing rollover protection structures on farm tractors.
