Overview
Title
To provide for the improved collection of data for organic dairy, and for other purposes.
ELI5 AI
H. R. 6937 is a bill that wants to collect information about how much it costs to make organic milk and how much dairy farmers can sell it for. This means they want to have a new way of gathering this information every month to help understand the price of organic milk better.
Summary AI
H. R. 6937, known as "The Organic Dairy Data Collection Act," aims to improve the collection of data related to organic dairy farming. The bill mandates the Secretary of Agriculture to support programs that gather and publish information on the cost of producing organic milk, including domestic and imported feedstuff prices. Additionally, a new survey called the “Organic All Milk Prices Survey” will provide monthly data on prices received by organic dairy farmers for their milk and cows. The bill also requires periodic reports on organic milk production, including state-specific cost data and regional production numbers.
Published
Keywords AI
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AnalysisAI
This bill, introduced in the House of Representatives as "The Organic Dairy Data Collection Act," aims to enhance the collection and reporting of data related to the production of organic milk in the United States. The legislation mandates the Department of Agriculture to gather comprehensive data on the costs associated with organic dairy farming and publish new reports that would provide insights into this sector. This data includes details about various organic feedstuffs used in production and the prices received by organic dairy farmers.
General Summary of the Bill
The bill seeks to improve data collection for organic dairy by directing the Secretary of Agriculture to support regional and national programs focused on gathering cost-of-production data. This includes information on major feedstuffs used in organic milk production, both domestically produced and imported. Additionally, the legislation requires the establishment of an "Organic All Milk Prices Survey" to collect data about prices received by organic dairy farmers. New periodic reports are also mandated to provide insights into organic milk production by state and region.
Summary of Significant Issues
The bill presents several concerns that could potentially affect its implementation and outcomes. One notable issue is the possible redundancy of data collection efforts. The requirement to initiate a new survey might overlap with existing surveys, such as those conducted by the National Agricultural Statistics Service, potentially leading to unnecessary spending and inefficiency. Additionally, the discretion granted to the Secretary of Agriculture in defining what qualifies as "major organic feedstuffs" could introduce inconsistency and ambiguity, which might complicate enforcement and application efforts. Finally, the complexity of the language used in the bill may pose a barrier to understanding among stakeholders who are not well-versed in agricultural data collection processes.
Impact on the Public Broadly
From a public perspective, the bill aims to provide more thorough data on organic dairy production, which could lead to better-informed policy decisions and potentially support the growth of organic farming practices. Access to detailed and accurate data might help consumers make more informed decisions regarding organic dairy products. However, the potential redundancy and inefficiency in data collection might lead to excessive public expenditure without corresponding benefits, possibly affecting taxpayer resources.
Impact on Specific Stakeholders
Organic dairy farmers stand to benefit from the bill if it successfully enhances the transparency and understanding of the organic milk market. Access to comprehensive data may enable these farmers to better plan their production and pricing strategies. However, if the new data collection initiatives do not offer new insights or unduly complicate existing processes, they might face additional administrative burdens without tangible gains.
Conversely, stakeholders involved in existing agricultural data collection might experience overlap in their efforts, leading to inefficiencies. The potential for ambiguity in interpreting which feedstuffs are considered major could affect feed producers and impact market dynamics.
Overall, while the bill aims to fill existing gaps in data related to organic dairy production, ensuring that it complements existing efforts rather than duplicating them will be crucial to its success. Stakeholders in the organic dairy sector and the broader public should watch the implementation of this legislation closely to assess its true impact.
Issues
The requirement to establish a new Organic All Milk Prices Survey in Section 2(b) could create redundancy with existing surveys such as the National Agricultural Statistics Service's All Milk Prices Survey, potentially leading to unnecessary spending and inefficiency.
The broad discretion given to the Secretary of Agriculture in determining what constitutes 'major organic feedstuffs' in Section 2(a)(1)(J) may lead to inconsistency and ambiguity, potentially causing confusion or favoritism in the enforcement and application of the bill's provisions.
Mandating the collection and publication of cost-of-production data for organic milk, as outlined in Section 2(a), might be redundant if comparable data is already being collected elsewhere, possibly leading to excessive costs without providing new benefits.
The language used throughout Section 2 might be overly complex, making it difficult for stakeholders who are not familiar with agricultural data collection processes to fully understand the bill's intentions and implications.
Sections
Sections are presented as they are annotated in the original legislative text. Any missing headers, numbers, or non-consecutive order is due to the original text.
1. Short title Read Opens in new tab
Summary AI
This section specifies the short title of the act, which is the “The Organic Dairy Data Collection Act.”
2. Improved data collection for organic dairy Read Opens in new tab
Summary AI
The bill section mandates the Secretary of Agriculture to support programs for collecting data on the costs of producing organic milk, which includes various types of organic feedstuffs and other production costs. Within 90 days of the act's passing, a survey will be created to report how much organic dairy farmers are paid, and new reports will provide detailed state and regional data on organic milk production and pricing.