First DMC Payments Providing Critical Aid to Dairy Farmers in Need
July 11, 2019
ARLINGTON, Va. – The National Milk Producers Federation thanked the U.S. Department of Agriculture for meeting the timeline Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue promised in February for dairy-program payments under the 2018 farm bill. Dairy farmers began receiving checks under the new Dairy Margin Coverage program this week, in keeping with USDA’s pledge.
“DMC aid represents significant improvement from previous programs, and with dairy farmers facing a fifth year of low prices, receiving better assistance in a timely fashion is a matter of survival for some family farms,” said Jim Mulhern, president and CEO of the NMPF. “The DMC program doesn’t replace a healthy market, but it is a crucial safety net in turbulent times. All dairy producers should strongly consider enrolling, and to look closely at coverage at the $9.50 maximum level.”
More than one-fourth of all U.S. dairy farms – nearly 10,000 — have signed up for DMC since signups began June 17, according to USDA. Enrollment will continue through Sept. 20, and coverage is retroactive to Jan. 1. NMPF has a resources page on DMC and other dairy assistance programs on its website, https://www.nmpf.org/policy_tags/dairy-margin-coverage/.
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The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF), based in Arlington, VA, develops and carries out policies that advance dairy producers and the cooperatives they own. NMPF’s member cooperatives produce more than two-thirds of U.S. milk, making NMPF dairy’s voice on Capitol Hill and with government agencies. For more, visit www.nmpf.org.
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