Baldwin Applauds New Aid for Dairy Farmers

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin, Chair of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies, released the following statement after The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced $2 billion in aid to dairy farms for COVID-19 relief.  

“I am pleased to see Secretary Vilsack and USDA delivering on their commitments to supporting dairy farmers after a very challenging year,” said Senator Baldwin. “I heard from farmers across Wisconsin about their frustrations with price fluctuations over the past several months, and have been pushing for aid and solutions to respond to these challenges. This assistance will be especially useful in Wisconsin to help address the losses farmers faced in the second half of 2020 from price volatility. These funds will give farmers a boost they need as they head towards harvest and think about their plans, and costs, for next year’s growing season.”

USDA will provide about $350 million in pandemic assistance payments to dairy farmers who received a lower value for their products due to market abnormalities caused by the pandemic. The assistance is part of a larger package including permanent improvements to the Dairy Margin Coverage safety net program. Additional details about the program are available and will be updated at the AMS Dairy Program website. 

###