The Federal Milk Orders of today are based on which act?

The Federal Milk Orders today are rooted in the Agricultural Agreement Act of 1937, which was established as part of the New Deal policies aimed at stabilizing agricultural markets during the Great Depression. This act provided a framework for regulating the marketing of milk and dairy products to ensure fair competition and stable prices for dairy farmers. It allowed for the establishment of federal milk marketing orders, which determine the price that processors must pay for milk based on various factors including the end-use of the milk and market conditions.

This act was pivotal in shaping the dairy industry's structure in the United States, providing guidelines that promote orderly marketing and help balance the supply of milk with consumer demand. As a result, many of today's Federal Milk Orders are a direct continuation of the principles and regulations established by this act, reflecting its long-lasting impact on milk marketing.

In contrast, the Agricultural Adjustment Act primarily focused on price stabilization and production adjustments for a wider range of commodities during the 1930s but does not specifically address milk marketing orders as comprehensively as the Agricultural Agreement Act. The Food Security Act and the Dairy Industry Stabilization Act also address other aspects of agricultural policy but do not have the same foundational relationship with the regulation of milk marketing as the 1937 act does.