Vermont’s congressional delegation — Senator Patrick Leahy (D), Senator Bernie Sanders (I), and Representative Peter Welch (D) — are encouraging Vermont dairy farmers to consider enrolling in the Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) program, a voluntary safety net program created in the 2018 Farm Bill to help producers manage volatile milk prices and feed costs. The enrollment period for 2021 closes on Friday, December 11.
In a joint statement, Leahy, Sanders, and Welch said: “Dairy farms are foundational to Vermont’s rural economy and our producers have faced unprecedented challenges this year. The COVID-19 pandemic has constrained supply chains, disrupted markets, and injected significant volatility and uncertainty into dairy prices. As we have worked hard to secure urgent federal assistance for farmers to weather this storm, the importance of safety net programs like Dairy Margin Coverage cannot be overstated. Current dairy future prices are forecasting another challenging year in 2021 as the market continues to stabilize, and margins are expected to trigger DMC payments throughout much of the year. We encourage all Vermont dairy producers to talk to their cooperatives, contact their Farm Service Agency field offices, and to strongly consider enrolling in DMC by the December 11 deadline.”
To enroll in the DMC program for 2021, farmers must contact their county Farm Service Agency (FSA) office by Friday, Dec. 11, 2020. Contact information is available from the FSA State Office at 356 Mountain View Drive, Colchester, (802) 658-2803, https://www.fsa.usda.gov/state-offices/Vermont. Farmers can also find more information about DMC, including a decision tool, at FSA’s Dairy Margin Coverage website.
