EMERSON BACKS DAIRY MEASURE

U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson said Friday she will support legislation to establish an emergency minimum milk price.

The bill is designed to bring relief to dairy farmers.

"The farmers in southern Missouri are at a breaking point," Emerson said from Washington.

She said dairy farmers still are recovering from some of the highest feed prices on records. She said they can't compete if the basic formula price continues to drop.

America's dairy farmers are being paid about the same price for their milk as they were in 1980, she said.