The last few years have seen the U.S. dairy industry weather some storms, including an unprecedented global pandemic and the related supply chain disruptions, which forced producers to dump millions of gallons of milk that no longer had a market. Through it all, USDA continues to support the industry. For this year’s National Dairy Month, we’d like to highlight two major ongoing USDA programs that focus on the dairy industry.
In January, we announced the new Organic Dairy Marketing Assistance Program (ODMAP). ODMAP was established to help mitigate market volatility, higher input and transportation costs, and unstable feed supply and prices that have created unique hardships in the organic dairy industry. Under ODMAP, USDA’s Farm Service Agency is making $104 million available to organic dairy operations to assist with marketing costs. ODMAP began May 24 and runs through July 26, 2023.
And since their inception in 2019, Dairy Business Innovation (DBI) Initiatives have been supporting dairy businesses in the development, production, marketing and distribution of dairy products. DBI Initiatives provide direct technical assistance and grants to dairy businesses, including niche dairy products, such as specialty cheese, or dairy products derived from the milk of a dairy animal, including cow, sheep and goat milk.
Through programs such as these and ongoing agency support, USDA works to protect, grow and develop the U.S. dairy industry. Happy National Dairy Month!