Statement from FarmFirst General Manager, Jeff Lyon
“FarmFirst approves of the latest COVID-19 relief legislation passed today by Congress, helping provide comfort and reassurance, as there are many uncertainties ahead as the pandemic continues.
FarmFirst greatly appreciates the priority placed to ensure U.S. dairy farmers continue to be part of the solution of providing nutritious food during the pandemic through the provisions included in today’s legislation. While dairy farmers continue to dedicate themselves to producing high quality milk, our Congressional leaders have shown their commitment to ensuring that milk and dairy products will continue to move to areas where it is needed.
The Dairy Donation Program will help connect dairy stakeholders and non-profits to continue to provide dairy products to those who need it, while ensuring dairy farmers can continue to fulfill that demand.
Further, the legislation makes improvements to the popular Paycheck Protection Program through the Small Business Administration. In addition, the legislation establishes supplemental Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) payments for farms that have increased their DMC production history since 2014, something that FarmFirst has been advocating strongly for since 2014.
Dairy farmers are eligible to participate in the $11 billion agricultural disaster assistance package, which is also included in this relief package.
FarmFirst would like to thank members of Congress, especially those from the Midwest, for keeping dairy farmers and its rural communities in mind when drafting and passing this legislation.”
FarmFirst Dairy Cooperative, established in 2013 and based in Madison, Wis., represents farmers in Wisconsin, Minnesota, South Dakota, Michigan, Iowa, Illinois and Indiana by providing legislative and regulatory advocacy, dairy marketing services, disaster protection, laboratory testing opportunities and industry promotion. FarmFirst Dairy Cooperative is a merger of three long-time prominent Wisconsin-based cooperatives. Learn more about FarmFirst Dairy Cooperative by visiting: www.FarmFirstDairyCooperative.com.
