The Honorable Ann M. Veneman
Secretary of Agriculture
United States Department of Agriculture
14^th Street & Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20250

Dear Secretary Veneman:

We are writing to urge you to reconsider your recent decision to sell a portion of 11.4 million pounds of butter from Commodity Credit Corporation stocks on the commercial market.  As you are aware, farm milk prices have just recently started to show improvement following a 20 month period of historically low prices.  The timing of your Department=s decision to release these stocks of butter could have an adverse impact on prices received by dairy farmers and we believe there is a better option.

While your announcement of this sale noted otherwise, it has come to our attention that there is strong interest in obtaining this butter from America's Second Harvest, the largest domestic hunger-relief organization in the United States. The America's Second Harvest mission is to feed hungry people through a nationwide network of certified affiliate food banks and food-rescue programs.  Rather than selling additional product into a market that has recently seen record low prices, we believe the CCC stocks could better used to provide food to the homeless and low-income families during this difficult economic time.   Doing so would have much less impact on butter prices for producers and at the same time would benefit the homeless and low-income families.

Since butter is one of the important drivers in determining the blend price for dairy farmers, releasing a large amount of butter onto the open market will weaken the recovery that is now underway.  We strongly urge that you reconsider this decision.

Given the time sensitive nature of this situation, your time and attention to this important matter is appreciated, and we look forward to your positive reply.

 Sincerely,

Leahy and Jeffords were joined by Sens. Specter (R-Penn.), Kohl (D-Wis.), Dayton (D-Minn.), Collins (R-Maine), Landrieu (D-La.), Coleman (R-Minn.), Kerry (D-Mass.), Kennedy (D-Mass.), Clinton (D-N.Y.), Breaux (D-La.), Snowe (R-Maine), Feingold (D-Wis), Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) and Boxer (D-Calif.)

Related Links:

Leahy Urges USDA To Protect Dairy Farmers September 26, 2003