U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, speaking at the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) annual meeting, announced extended deadlines for the Margin Protection Program for Dairy (MPP-Dairy). Farmers now have until Dec. 5 to enroll in the voluntary income margin protection program.
The original deadline was Nov. 28 – the day after Thanksgiving and generally referred to as “Black Friday” – a day some states view as an employee holiday.
“We want dairy producers to have enough time to make thoughtful and well-studied choices,” said Vilsack. “Markets change and the Margin Protection Program can help protect dairy producers from those changes.”
Vilsack encouraged producers to use the online Web resource at MPPTool to calculate the best levels of coverage for their dairy operation.
“Historical scenarios also can be explored to see how the Margin Protection Program would function should poor market conditions occur again in the future,” said Vilsack. The secure website can be accessed via computer, smartphone or tablet.
USDA also extended the public comment period on both MPP-Dairy and the Dairy Product Donation Program until Dec. 15.
Source: USDA
Comments can be submitted to USDA via the regulations.gov website here.