House and Senate lawmakers want the Agriculture Department to extend the enrollment period for the Margin Protection Program. Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, Texas Republican Mike Conaway, along with other committee members and Senate counterparts, are calling on USDA to extend the sign-up period because they say the move would encourage additional participation in the program. In a letter to USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack, the group of lawmakers say an extension of the deadline to December 31st “should be made permanent to give producers additional time to make informed decisions and to improve program participation.” Pro Farmer reports that since MPP was created in the 2014 Farm Bill, milk prices have dropped almost 40 percent and cheese stocks now stand at record-high levels. The current enrollment deadline is September 30th.