Milk Farms Not Getting Share Of Premium, PA Legislator Says

When you buy a bottle of milk at the grocery store, there's a premium built in intended to pay dairy farmers, but a state senator says that not all of that money is reaching Pennsylvania farmers.

Sen. Mike Brubaker, R-Lancaster County, has introduced legislation to "make sure that it does, indeed, go back to the dairy farmer who does produce the milk," said Kristin Crawford, Brubaker's legislative director.

The 27-cent premium per gallon goes to farmers whose milk is produced, processed and sold in Pennsylvania.

Brubaker's office cites figures showing that $15 million to $25 million in premiums paid by consumers in 2009 did not reach dairy farmers. Those numbers are estimates from former state Secretary of Agriculture Dennis Wolff.

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