Pennsylvania dairy farmers have been under continuous pressure of decreasing fluid milk consumption in the country and tight markets met by production surpluses and tariffs. Congressman Glenn Thompson led a summit at Mount Aloysius College in Cambria County Monday, reassuring producers and farmers that a handful of new policies would offer meaningful assistance to the industry.
“The new farm bill provides critical support for production agriculture across the board,” Thompson said. “Support comes in the form of voluntary insurance, agriculture extension services, rural development and conservation programs.”
Voluntary insurance, known as the Dairy Margin Coverage program, issues payouts to farmers when their profit margins fall below a certain level. In July, the Department of Agriculture began paying about $100 million dollars in insured milk production.
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