LONDON, Ohio — The federal government is assisting organic dairy farmers as they weather economic challenges.
The assistance will be offered to help marketing costs.
“This is a pretty typical USDA program and what I mean by that is the Department of Agriculture comes up with programs like this to support or incentivize different areas of agriculture, so in this case, we’re talking about the organic dairy producer, the dairy farmer in specific,” Spectrum News agriculture expert Andy Vance said.
According to a 2022 USDA report, Ohio ranks fifth among U.S. states for the number of certified organic farms.
“The key inputs on the dairy farm have risen considerably in price and in many cases outpaced inflation, so at the same time, we haven’t necessarily seen a huge increase in the price of a gallon of milk. You’re looking at shrinking revenues, perhaps increasing costs. It’s a real challenge,” Vance said.
Through the program, $104 million will be made available to organic dairy operations.
The USDA Farm Service Agency is accepting applications through July 26, 2023. To apply, producers should contact FSA at their local USDA Service Center.
According to the USDA, “producers must certify to pounds of 2022 milk production, show documentation of their organic certification, and submit a completed application form.”
