Feingold Applauds USDA Announcement On Relief For Dairy Producers Through The MILC Program

Statement

U.S. Senator Russ Feingold reacted today to the announcement by Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack that payments through the Milk Income Loss Contract (MILC) program, including an estimated $25-30 million for approximately 10,400 dairy operations in Wisconsin, are being processed and sent out to assist dairy farmers during this time of plummeting dairy prices.

"I am glad this anticipated relief is on its way to provide a safety net for our dairy producers," Feingold said. "I have heard from a number of Wisconsin dairy farmers struggling to make ends meet and pay their bills in these difficult economic times. With plummeting dairy prices, farmers in Wisconsin and across the country are among the hardest hit by this economic downturn. The MILC program was designed to help our nation's farmers in economic circumstances just like these, and I strongly supported improvements to the program in the most recent Farm Bill. While I would have liked to have seen these payments sooner, I am still pleased that USDA is providing this assistance to our farmers who contribute so much to our nation's economy."

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