USDA opens Milk Loss Program assistance for dairy farmers

For Peshtigo Times

MADISON – The U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently opened the Milk Loss Program (MLP) assistance for eligible dairy operations for milk that was dumped or removed, without compensation, from the commercial milk market.

The loss may have been due to qualifying weather events and the consequences of those weather events that inhibited delivery or storage of milk during the calendar years of 2020, 2021 and 2022. 

Administered by the Farm Service Agency (FSA), signup runs Sept. 11-Oct. 16.

“Frequent and widespread weather-related disasters over the past three years have impacted U.S. dairy. These producers continue to face supply chain issues, high feed and input costs, labor shortages, and market volatilities,” said FSA Administrator Zach Ducheneaux. “The reality for dairy producers is that cattle are milked at least twice a day, producing on average, six to seven gallons of milk per cow, per day. That milk must go somewhere, and when it can’t get where it needs to go and can’t be stored due to circumstances beyond a producer’s control we need to help. The Milk Loss Program will help offset the economic loss by producers left with no other choice but dumping their milk during disasters.”

MLP compensates dairy operations for milk dumped or removed without compensation from the commercial milk market due to qualifying disaster events, including droughts, wildfires, hurricanes, floods, damaging windstorms, excessive heat, winter storms, freezing and smoke exposure.

Tornadoes are considered a qualifying disaster event for calendar year 2022 only.   

To apply for MLP, producers must submit: FSA-376, Milk Loss Program Application; Milk marketing statement from the month prior to the month milk was removed or dumped and the affected month; detailed written statement of milk removal circumstances, including the weather event type and geographic scope, what transportation limitations occurred and any information on what was done with the removed milk; and any other information required by the regulation.

For more information, visit www.fsa.usda.gov/programs-and-services/emergency-relief/index.