Dairy Earnings Plummet and Voluntary Groundwater Conservation Act

**After earning record-high milk prices in 2022, dairy farmers have seen their earnings plummet in recent months, with more operations struggling to stay in business and some closing their doors for good.

This has prompted comparisons to the 2009 recession that forced many dairies into bankruptcy.

Some say it may be worse this time around due to additional inflationary pressures and higher interest rates that make it more costly to borrow money.

**Members of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association passed a directive to continue advocating for transparent labeling and inspection of cell-cultured protein products.

While NCBA President Todd Wilkinson says cattle producers aren’t afraid of competition, he knows that consumers will continue choosing real high-quality beef over cell-cultured imitations.

The directive was brought forward by the Tennessee, California, Florida Cattlemen’s Associations and passed during the NCBA’s summer business meeting.

**A bill has been introduced that would help family farmers and ranchers fight drought.

The Voluntary Groundwater Conservation Act gives farmers and ranchers the flexibility to protect groundwater sources while also keeping ag lands in production under a new voluntary groundwater easement program.

The legislation comes as Western aquifers are in decline.

The bill creates a new Groundwater Conservation Easement Program at USDA to encourage voluntary, compensated reductions in groundwater consumption on ag land.