Rickey L. Cole

Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce

Dairy Issues Position Paper

The crisis facing Mississippi's dairy farmers demands swift, strong and decisive cooperation between the state and federal governments. If elected your Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce, Rickey Cole pledges to:

ü Push legislation through the Mississippi Legislature to help our dairy farmers pay for modernization of their operations.

ü Push legislation through the Mississippi Legislature to refund to dairy farmers the fuel surcharge imposed by the federal government for transportation of milk to Mississippi from outside the region.

ü Push legislation through the Mississippi Legislature to provide tax incentives for dairy farmers to operate in Mississippi.

ü Work with the Mississippi Development Authority to encourage dairy processing plants to locate in Mississippi.

ü Work with MSU and Alcorn to research and develop a new summer forage to produce higher quantities of milk in the summer months.

ü Work with our congressional delegation and other allies in Washington to make the federal milk marketing orders more flexible.

MISSISSIPPI LOST 60 DAIRY FARMS IN KATRINA, AND LESTER SPELL DID NOTHING TO HELP THE INDUSTRY. RICKEY COLE WILL WORK WITH YOU TO SAVE MISSISSIPPI'S VITALLY IMPORTANT DAIRY FARMS.

If you would like to discuss the dairy situation, or any other topic of concern to Mississippi Agriculture, food safety, or rural development, please call Rickey at 601-316-1356 or email him at rickey@rickeycole.com. He is always available to talk with you.

Paid for by Friends of Rickey Cole, Daniel Ware, Treasurer

529 Woodland Hills Place, Jackson, MS 39216

(601) 316-1356 www.rickeycole.com