It’s All Turned Sour

Federated Farmers President Don Nicolson has lashed out against President Barack Obama and US milk subsidies in an opinion piece for the latest issue of The Wall Street Journal. Nicolson vented his frustrations in the article — aptly named “Milking Trade Subsidies” — attacking in particular the US Dairy Export Incentive Program (DEIP) which was implemented last month. He said that the subsidies paid by the US Department of Agriculture under the DEIP distorted global prices, effectively punishing New Zealand farmers for their success. “New Zealand and its farmers are up against a powerful U.S. dairy lobby that’s only interested in keeping its subsidies,” said Nicolson in a press release on the federated Farmers website. “Hopefully this opinion piece will give U.S. policy makers time to pause, think and reconsider what folly it really is.”