Politics & Government

Milk: Congress To Compromise on Prices

After close call, the agriculture committee reveals compromise so milk prices won't double in 2013, and we've included a list of current milk prices and specials at some Pikesville stores.

While Congress can't seem to agree on a compromise to avoid the "Fiscal Cliff," leadership of the agriculture committee announced a compromise on the farm bill Sunday.

The compromise will keep milk prices from skyrocketing to $6 or $8 a gallon.

In Pikesville, as of Monday, some of the prices range from $2.49 to $3.39 per gallon for most varieties:

Find out what's happening in Pikesvillewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Trader Joe's
Whole to skim (gallon) $3.19 Walgreen's Assorted varieties (gallon)
$2.49 Giant Stonyfield Farm, Lowfat 1 percent
$3.39 CVS stores Garelick Farms Skim $3.29 Safeway Lucerne Lactose Fat Free Milk $2.99*

*Sources: Clerk at Trader Joe's, 1809 Reisterstown Road, and Pikesville Patch Grocery Specials feature.

Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Debbie Stabenow indicated that in addition to the one-year extension that has the backing of the committees, the House GOP is also considering two other extension bills — a one-month extension and an even smaller bill that would simply extend dairy policy that expires Jan. 1, reported the Associated Press on the NPR site.

Find out what's happening in Pikesvillewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Dairy subsidies under the 2008 farm bill expire on Monday and without a bill in place, prices paid by the government to farmers would revert back to higher 1949 levels, reported USA Today.

Wheat and other commodities could have be impacted later in 2013.

"If a new Farm Bill is not passed in the next few days, Agriculture Committee leaders in both chambers and both parties have developed a responsible short-term Farm Bill extension that not only stops milk prices from spiking, but also prevents eventual damage to our entire agriculture economy," said Stabenow.

"It is not perfect—no compromise ever is—but it is my sincere hope that it will pass the House and Senate and be signed by the President by Jan. 1," Frank Lucas, R-Okla., chair of the House Agriculture Committee, said in a statement.

Pikesville Patch Editor Janet Metzner contributed to this report.


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