Sen. Eric Buckson, R-Camden.
PHOTO COURTESY OF legis.Delaware.gov
Sen. Stephanie Hansen, D-Middletown
PHOTO COURTESY OF legis.delaware.gov
Secretary of Agriculture Michael Scuse
PHOTO COURTESY OF agriculture.delaware.gov
DOVER—There were 44 dairy farms in the First State in 2014, but that total dropped to just 13 in 2024.
Now, in a bid to provide an economic boost to Delaware dairy farmers and give consumers a choice, Sen. Eric Buckson, R-Camden, is spearheading a proposal to legalize the sale and distribution of raw milk in the state.
“People want products that are organic, they want to trust the food sources that they have, not just because of something like pasteurization, but because of the additives that are included in the milk that you consume, the food products that you consume.” Senator Buckson said during the committee hearing on the bill on May 15.
“For the consumer, it is their choice; For the dairy industry, it is still his choice, but (this is) also a way of saying that we are going to help him stay viable.”
Senate Bill 273 would direct the Department of Agriculture to create a raw milk permit for Delaware suppliers, allowing them to sell the product directly to the consumer. Raw milk is cow, sheep, or goat milk that is not pasteurized, which is a method used to kill harmful bacteria.
Lawmakers had attempted to pass a broader version of the law in 2014, which would have allowed the product to be sold in grocery stores, Sen. Buckson said.
So when the Camden Republican approached Department of Agriculture Secretary Michael Scuse about legalizing the sale of raw milk, the Cabinet member said his support depended on several safety measures.
This included daily on-farm product testing, which would require participating dairy farms to invest in technology to conduct the testing, as well as monthly testing by an independent laboratory and monthly inspections by Department of Agriculture staff.
“As far as regulations go, we also made it very clear that we would work with the Public Health (Division) to develop regulations that ensure that we can alleviate many of the concerns that public health has with our consumers who consume raw milk. ”said Mr. Scuse.
The legislation has received pushback from Sen. Stephanie Hansen, D-Middletown, due to recent bird flu mutation trends across the country. In nine states, there have been 42 cattle herds that have tested positive and at least three dairy workers have contracted avian influenza in recent weeks: two in Michigan and one in Texas.
“The only concern here is the ability to provide an environment in which mutation occurs at a faster rate than might otherwise occur,” Senator Hansen said.
During the bill’s May 15 committee hearing and its May 23 consideration on the Senate floor, the Middletown Democrat and Mr. Scuse discussed these factors.
The agriculture secretary noted that daily testing will not cover bird flu because there is no sign of its presence in Delmarva; or in Pennsylvania, where the sale of raw milk is legal and where many Delawareans go for the product.
Additionally, he said, recent outbreaks in other states have caused infected cattle to be moved to unaffected facilities, and Delaware has protections when moving cattle from outside the region into the state that would prevent such an outbreak from occurring.
But Sen. Hansen noted that federal agencies such as the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have recommended humans not consume raw milk because it is unpasteurized, and he also listed nearly a dozen national health groups that recommended the same.
“In the face of everyone who says we shouldn’t sell… raw milk, they ask us to put that aside because ‘we have a plan,'” Senator Hansen said.
In response, Mr Scuse said: “Everyone you just mentioned will tell you that you should not eat raw seafood, and they will also tell you that you should make sure your burgers (are cooked) thoroughly… this is no different to what “We are all currently doing and what do they recommend that we not do.”
Following the response, lawmakers questioned the tax benefit this would have for Delaware dairy farmers.
Stephanie Knutsen, co-owner of G&S Dairy in Harrington, was called as a witness and testified that the legislation would double her profits by switching five of her 50 cows to raw milk production.
In 2006, he said, 3% of Delaware’s population consumed raw milk, and that number is closer to 5% now. Using those figures and other consumer statistics, he predicted the bill would create $15.6 million for Delaware dairy farms.
“How we are producing raw milk and the sanitary ways we are doing it now… It is not so scary… when it is produced using this model that includes testing, refrigeration (and) faster chilling (and) farmer training. on risk management strategies,” Ms. Knutsen said.
After more than an hour of debate on the issue, Senate Bill 273 received bipartisan approval, with five Democratic senators voting against it. The bill will now move to the House of Representatives for further consideration.
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