Release No. 189-05

Becky Unkenholz (202) 720-8998

becky.unkenholz@usda.gov

WASHINGTON, D.C., Oct.12, 2005-- The U.S. Department of Agriculture today announced a final rule that amends the Appalachian and Southeast milk marketing orders. Dairy farmers approved the amended orders through the polling of cooperatives.

The final rule will expand the Appalachian milk marketing area to include 25 unregulated counties and 15 unregulated cities in Virginia and eliminate the ability to simultaneously pool the same milk on the Appalachian or Southeast order and a state-operated milk order that has marketwide pooling. The final rule amends the transportation credit provisions of the Appalachian and Southeast orders to increase the maximum rate of assessment by 3 cents per hundredweight (cwt) to $0.095 per cwt and $0.10 per cwt, respectively. The amendments also provide Market Administrators the ability to adjust the milk production standard for determining the milk of a dairy farmer that is eligible to receive transportation credits.

The final rule appears in today’s Federal Register and will become effective on Nov. 1, 2005.

Additional information about the rule may be obtained from market administrator offices as follows:

Appalachian: Harold H. Friedly

USDA/AMS/Dairy Programs

P.O. Box 18030 Louisville, KY. 40261-0030

Tel. (502) 499-0040; email: friedly@malouisville.com

Florida and Southeast: Sue L. Mosley

USDA/AMS/Dairy Programs

P.O. Box 491778, Lawrenceville, GA. 30049

Tel. (770) 682-2501; e-mail: smosley@fmmatlanta.com