Thank you for the assistance you’ve provided to the nation’s dairy farmers by providing funds for the purchase and donation of milk and dairy products to food banks and other relief organizations. The economic health of so many of our rural communities relies on a sound farming sector. The CARES Act hasn’t made anybody whole but it has helped many farm families avoid catastrophe.
The nation’s dairy farmers are reeling from the drop in milk prices due to shifts in demand for milk and dairy foods related to the nation’s efforts to contain the spread of the coronavirus.
As you are aware, 2017 and 2018 were challenging years for dairy farmers across the United States. Congress recognized that existing federal safety net programs did little to mitigate the economic harm and responded by including DMC as part of the 2018 Farm Bill. It is imperative that USDA implement DMC as quickly as possible to provide much needed assistance.