Dairy policy flashpoints include labor, trade, chocolate milk

Dairy policy can feel like Washington noise until it hits the farm gate. From the World Dairy Expo, we sit down with Gregg Doud, CEO and president of the National Milk Producers Federation, to name the pressure points dairy producers are facing and what could realistically change in 2026 and 2027. We start with immigration reform and the uncomfortable truth dairy lives with every day: the work is year-round, but U.S. immigration policy has not kept up. Doud explains why H-2A does not fit dairy, what a new visa program could look like, and why the “amnesty” label misses the fine print around temporary renewals and required re-entries. We also talk strategy, because even a strong bipartisan report does not pass itself. With major turnover expected on Capitol Hill, we discuss what it takes to educate new members and staffers when fewer of them come from farm communities, and why we are going to be “looking for friends” in both parties. Then we pivot to trade and dairy exports, where the mood brightens. Doud shares why the US is headed toward a record year in dairy exports, how products like cheese and butter are competing globally, and why Southeast Asia, including Indonesia, looks like a critical next frontier as China demand changes. We close with a long-term heated nutrition debate: school lunch rules and the fight over chocolate milk, including the sugar context and the real-world question of whether kids will drink milk at all if it loses appeal. If you care about dairy farming, agricultural policy, dairy exports, or school nutrition standards, this conversation connects the dots. Subscribe, share this episode with someone in ag, and leave a review so more listeners can find the show.