Federal Legislation Would Relieve Supply Chain Stress For Michigan Dairy Producers

Apr 05, 2022

Michigan’s dairy producers may feel some supply chain relief soon.

The Ocean Shipping Reform Act recently passed the U.S. Senate and is heading to President Biden's desk. The bill passed through both halls of congress with bi-partisan support.

Asia is one of the largest export markets for Michigan’s dairy farmers.

But since the pandemic, international shipping companies have been more incentivized to import products and have neglected exporting dairy products.

The law would give the Federal Maritime Commission more authority over regulations in the international shipping industry.

Doug Chapin is the chairman of the Michigan Milk Producers Association. He said in 2021, 70% of the containers leaving the U.S. were empty.

“There was such a demand for the shipping coming in, that the ships would come in and unload, would not want to wait to be loaded, they would just take empty containers, and head right back out,” said Chapin.

Chapin said the advancement of this legislation has caused lawmakers and industry leaders to begin addressing other supply chain issues.

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Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.