Washington- Today, Rep. Joe Pitts (PA-16) met with Agriculture Secretary Vilsack to discuss what steps the federal government can take to help struggling dairy farmers. Rep. Pitts has been acting on behalf of local dairy farmers, calling for reform of the dairy pricing mechanisms and opening of new markets through free trade agreements.

Rep. Pitts asked the Secretary about efforts to ensure that the price paid to farmers is more reflective of actual demand. Also, Rep. Pitts called on the Secretary to encourage the development of more sophisticated price risk management programs.

Rep. Pitts statement follows:

“I thank Secretary Vilsack for meeting with concerned Members of Congress today. I was encouraged to hear that the Secretary is very much involved in finding solutions to the problem of low prices and has been meeting with farmers across the country.

“The Department of Agriculture is bringing together farmers, processors, economists, and state agricultural experts to work on finding long term solutions to stabilize prices and ensure a vibrant dairy industry.”

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