HARRISBURG – The September edition of the local TV program hosted by Senator David G. Argall (R-Berks/Schuylkill) focuses on a recent Senate hearing which discussed federal prohibition of whole milk in schools.
“Pennsylvania is ranked 7th in the nation for total milk production and yet our dairy farmers are really struggling,” said Senator Argall. “Prior to the pandemic, many of our dairy farmers were already in a crisis mode and compared to this time one year ago, we’ve seen a 5 percent decrease in dairy farms across Pennsylvania. I asked the Majority Policy Committee to hold this hearing so we could discuss how to best support the dairy industry in Pennsylvania including our 1,000 plus farms in Berks County and 600 plus farms in Schuylkill County.”
Back in 2010, the United States Congress passed a bill prohibiting whole milk from being served in schools, which President Barack Obama signed into law. Citing nutrition concerns for students and the economic impact to the dairy industry, the Senate Majority Policy Committee held a hearing recently to discuss this issue. The hearing featured farmers and advocates from Berks County.
“In the first two years of this federal Act, 1.1 million fewer students drank milk with their lunch – but they still have access to sugary juices and soda which offer none of the nutritional value that whole milk does,” Senator Argall continued. “This continued prohibition isn’t just hurting our farmers, it’s teaching our students a terrible lesson in nutrition. This hearing was extremely helpful but it’s only the beginning. We need to continue to take steps to ensure the survival of family-owned dairy farms for generations to come.
This edition of the Argall Report will air on:
- Blue Ridge Communications (Channel 13) every Monday at 10 a.m. and every Wednesday at 10:30 p.m.
- Berks Community Television (Comcast – Channel 15 and Service Electric – Channel 19) on Thursday at 8 p.m. and Friday at 6 p.m.
- Service Electric Cablevision: Hazleton, Mahanoy City; Shenandoah – on Hazleton’s WYLN TV 35 Channel 507 and MetroCast Communications Channel 10. Please check local listings for air times.
Senator Argall’s show is also available online at https://www.senatorargall.com/argallreport/.
Contact: Jim Brugger 717.787.2637