The Agriculture Department Thursday released the report of the advisory committee appointed last year to propose changes in U.S. dairy policy.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack declined to comment on the report today at a news conference at the Commodity Classic in Tampa, saying that he had only had time to read the executive summary.

The report was released as Congress is considering rewriting the dairy program, which proved inadequate to address the dairy industry's problems in recent years.

The National Milk Producers Federation, the nation's largest organization of dairy farmers, has released a proposal that involves using the budget for current dairy programs for a new program. On Tuesday, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., released a proposal that would overhaul the milk pricing system, preserve the MILC program, bolster exports and improve cold storage inventory reporting standards.

Recommendations for Public Policy to Improve Dairy Farm Profitability and Reduce Milk Price Volatility