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2020 DMC Signup Looms as Dairy Margins Stay Above Aid Trigger

December 9, 2019

With the deadline for 2020 farmer Dairy Margin Coverage program signup looming on Friday, Dec. 13, forecast margins remain high for 2020.

The National Milk Producers Federation is urging producers to visit their local Farm Service Agency offices to take advantage of the DMC, which is meant to provide risk management tools for farmers and provide some relief against financial hardship. The popular program paid dairy farmers more than $308 million in benefits for 2019.

All farmers who signed up for 2019 are encouraged to re-enroll for 2020, given the unpredictability of dairy markets. Farmers who elected to enroll for the full five-year life of the program need to visit their FSA office to keep their information current for the upcomingina year.

In October, the milk price/feed cost margin calculated under the Dairy Margin Coverage program was $10.88 per cwt., $0.46 per cwt. higher than the September DMC margin and remaining above the threshold below which payments are triggered. The October all-milk price was $0.60 per cwt. higher than September’s, while the DMC calculated feed cost for September was $0.14 per cwt. higher than September’s, mostly due to a higher soybean meal price.

As of December 4, USDA’s DMC Decision Tool, which can be accessed online, projected the margins shown in the chart below. The DMC margin is currently projected to remain above $9.50 per cwt. for the remainder of 2019 and during all of 2020.

NMPF has a resource page on its new website with more information about the program, including a 4-page brochure summarizing key facts about the DMC and a video specific to 2020 signup.