CARES Act-funded dairy program distributes nearly $8M

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The CARES Act-funded Dairy Indemnity Program distributed $7.6 million to 1,550 dairy farmers, according to Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding.

The program provided funding to dairy farmers who experienced losses due to discarded or displaced milk during the COVID-19 pandemic. Losses must have occurred between March 6 and Sept. 30.

Eligible farmers received $1,500 in direct relief upon applying and additional relief dollars from the program’s remaining funds.

“Early in the pandemic in Pennsylvania, many of our dairy farmers were forced to dump milk and faced extreme uncertainty due to rapidly changing markets,” Redding said. “In this season of thanks, we are grateful that the legislature saw and met the needs of Pennsylvania’s dairy farmers with this program. These dollars don’t stop at the farm gate. They come back in your communities through grocery stores, schools, food banks, and more.”

State Sens. Judy Schwank (D-Berks County) and Elder Vogel (R-Lawrence County), Senate Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee chairpeople, championed the CARES-Act funding.

There are nearly 7,000 dairy farms in the state, producing $12 billion annually and supporting more than 52,000 jobs. More than 500,000 cows produce more than 10.2 billion pounds of milk annually, making Pennsylvania the seventh top state for total milk production.