NMPF Heralds First Round of DMC Assistance
August 5, 2019
In welcome news for dairy producers, the U.S. Department of Agriculture met its projected timeline of beginning payments under the Dairy Margin Coverage program by early July. NMPF thanked Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue for meeting its stated goal.
“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-third of all U.S. dairy farms have signed up for DMC since it was rolled out 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.