The USDA announced earlier this week it is making $80 million available to the Dairy Business Innovation Initiatives (DBI).
$18.4 million was awarded by DBI in November 2021 to three current initiatives at the University of Tennessee, Vermont Agency for Food and Marketing and University of Wisconsin, and a new $1.8 million plan at California State University – Fresno.
“The pandemic has demonstrated that dairy producers and regional dairy processors, particularly those engaged in value-added production, faced systemic shocks over the past several years,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “We have heard directly from producers and processors – particularly organic producers and processors in the Northeast – on how we can work with the industry to build long-term resilience of regional dairy supply chains.”
Each current initiative can now submit additional proposals for up to $20 million in the American Rescue Funds to further support processing capacity expansion, on-farm improvements and technical assistance to producers.
“The Dairy Business Innovation Initiatives have supported regional-focused efforts tailored to the needs of dairy farmers and businesses locally. This additional funding will expand the capacity of the four initiatives to provide technical assistance and sub-grants exponentially,” Vilsack adds.
