News

USDA says expect March Dairy Margin Coverage payments

Farmers waiting to participate in the new Dairy Margin Coverage program will sign up knowing they are getting program payments for the first three months of the year.  USDA announced the March income over feed cost margin was $8.85 per hundredweight, so producers that are considering the $9.00 and $9.50 coverage levels will be eligible for program payments.

USDA says a dairy with a production history of three million pounds under the $9.50 coverage level on 95% of production would receive more than 15-hundred dollars for March.  That same farm would receive more than 81-hundred dollars for the first three months of 2019, which is almost twice the cost of the yearly premiums.

USDA will be ready to accept DMC contracts starting June 17^th.  An online decision tool is now available for producers.