2025 NCDPA Report Card
Here is a snapshot of what we have been working on for NC's dairy producers!
Here is a snapshot of what we have been working on for NC's dairy producers!
We have continued to elevate our visibility at the state legislature and help educate lawmakers on the importance of the industry. Legislative activity this year included:
- A provision in the 2025 NC Farm Act that would change regulations to allow for mortality composting of cattle, which would not require expensive infrastructure.*
- Setting into law a permit fee for manure haulers to ensure that NCDEQ cannot raise those permit fees in the future without legislative approval. Although this would only affect a small number of dairy producers, this is an excellent example of how valuable it is to have someone in Raleigh looking out for our interests.*
- Working with NCDEQ to extend the expiration date of the current state general permit through September 2028, in response to the NC Supreme Court decision that invalidated three provisions in the 2019 permit.
- Joining the NC Pork Council and NC Cattlemen's Association to sponsor Livestock Lobby Day at the General Assembly.
- Participation in the NC Department of Agriculture's Ag Products Dinner, where we served milk and cheese to lawmakers.
On the NC regulatory front, we have also been actively monitoring and advocating on your behalf. The result of the NC Supreme Court decision on the 2019 permits is that a rule or a law must first require any condition included in a permit. Although we do not yet know how NCDEQ will proceed, NCDPA has already been advocating for a dairy-specific state general permit, rather than a permit primarily intended for swine producers, which has been the practice since the inception of the state general permit program. We will seek your specific input as this process unfolds.
On the federal level, we were surprised to see a proposed change to NRCS Standard 359 that would have required covers for anaerobic lagoons on operations with 1,000 animal units or more. While most NC farms would not be affected by such a proposal, the impact nationally would be substantial. Based on an analysis by Cornell University, the estimated impact on all 3,344 U.S. dairy farms with 500 or more cows would result in a conservative national cost between $501 million and $1.5 billion. NCDPA worked with the National Pork Producers Council, which, on behalf of forty-six national and state associations, submitted comments to USDA in opposition to the proposed change. Although a final decision has not been made, this proposal is unlikely to gain traction.
NCDPA has been well-represented all year in meetings at the NC Department of Agriculture, NC State, and even in Atlanta at the Southeast Dairy Sustainability Conference last month. We held our annual meeting in March, featuring informative and dynamic speakers, and also hosted a Dairy Appreciation Dinner and Youth Awards Banquet in June. We have also worked behind the scenes on a range of matters, including assisting an RNG company in obtaining the appropriate local tax treatment for an on-farm project and helping producers with compliance issues.
There is still much to be done, and we appreciate your patience as we work to transform NCDPA into a professional organization. To maximize your investment, we must hire an executive director. However, before that can be done, we must reach the end of this calendar year to determine how much funding will likely remain available annually. We anticipate opening applications for the position in early 2026.
The state assessment is voluntary, and while we hope that you will continue to support the organization, you may request a full or partial refund of your investment. You can find information on our website – ncdairy.org – about how to submit that request.
* Unfortunately, neither of these bills passed the finish line this year, but we will continue to work on those issues in the next legislative session.