USDA Announces Additional $80 Million for Long-Term Resilience in the Dairy Industry

Last week, the USDA announced an additional investment of $80 million in the Dairy Business Innovation Initiatives. In November, the program awarded $18.4 million to three current initiatives at the University of Tennessee, Vermont Agency for Food and Marketing and University of Wisconsin, and $1.8 million to a new initiative at Fresno State University.

Under the existing program, which was previously announced through a FY21 Request for Applications, each initiative can submit additional proposals for up to $20 million in American Rescue Plan funding. The funds can further support processing capacity expansion, on-farm improvements, and technical assistance to producers.

Since its inception in 2019, the initiatives have provided valuable technical assistance and sub-grants to dairy farmers and businesses across their regions, assisting them with business plan development, marketing and branding, and increasing access to innovative production and processing techniques supporting the development of value-added products.

If you have a story idea for the PNW Ag Network, call (509) 547-1618, or e-mail gvaagen@cherrycreekmedia.com