RESTON, Va. – Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative Association (MDVA) today praises the extension of Virginia’s Dairy Producer Margin Coverage Premium Assistance Program deadline to May 15. The extension from the previous February 1 deadline was signed into law by Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin today. The program provides $1 million in reimbursement, available on a first-come first-served basis, to Virginia dairy farmers for their premiums in the federal Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) program provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
“As we enter 2022 with optimism for a healthy dairy market, producers are still faced with tremendous uncertainty around access and cost for seed, fertilizer, and other inputs needed to keep their farms working,” said Lindsay Reames, Executive Vice President of Sustainability & External Relations for MDVA. “Virginia’s support of dairy farmers through this premium assistance program will eliminate one additional cost to dairy farmers as they work to provide a fresh, nutritious, and sustainable milk choice for our communities.”
DMC provides protection to dairy producers when the difference between the all-milk price and the average feed price (the margin) falls below a certain dollar amount selected by the producer. In addition to Virginia, the Maryland Department of Agriculture covers the premiums for Maryland-based dairy producers at the $9.50 margin coverage level. MDVA encourages all dairy producers to enroll in 2022 coverage under the federal DMC program by the current federal deadline of March 25, 2022.
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Contact:
Lindsay Reames, Executive Vice President, Sustainability & External Relation
