Press Releases

Washington, DC – U.S. Rep. Marc Molinaro (R-NY-19) today introduced the Dairy Farm Resiliency Act to strengthen the safety net for Upstate New York dairy farmers by improving the Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) program. This bipartisan bill is being introduced after dairy farmers at Rep. Molinaro’s Farm Bill Listening Session raised concerns with the DMC in light of rising feed costs. Rep. Molinaro introduced this bill alongside U.S. Reps. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI-7), Van Orden (R-WI-3), and Abigail Spanberger (D-VA-7).

DMC is a federal insurance program that protects dairy farmers during volatile times when the cost of feed is high, but revenue falls due to low milk prices. Since its creation in the 2018 Farm Bill, DMC has been received positively but is in need of updates that help it work better for the small and medium sized dairy farms that make up New York’s 19^th Congressional District. Namely, the level of production that farmers can cover under the program is still based on data from before 2014. This poses a serious risk for local farms who have grown since then and now outproduce what their DMC plan covers, sometimes leaving millions of pounds of milk uninsured and farmers vulnerable to devastating financial losses.

The Dairy Farm Resiliency Act requires the production level be updated every five years to ensure dairy farmers are adequately insured for their milk production. The bill also allows medium-sized dairy producers to insure more of their milk.

Rep. Molinaro said, “I wrote the Dairy Farm Resiliency Act in response to the concerns brought up during my Farm Bill Listening Session. The dairy industry is facing tremendous volatility with feed and other production costs on the rise. My bipartisan bill will make essential upgrades to the Dairy Margin Coverage program, safeguard the livelihoods of dairy farmers in Upstate New York, and ensure they have the resources to stay afloat during a tough year.”

Judi Whittaker, owner of Whittaker Dairy Farm in Whitney Point said, “We appreciate Congressman Molinaro for introducing this much-needed legislation. Farmers have seen historically high milk prices, skyrocketing equipment costs, and labor shortages. Having DMC coverage adjusted will help more milk be price protected and give famers another resource in their tool box to allow them to continue farming. There’s no doubt the Congressman’s bill will assist farmers with making decisions that will boost their profitability.”

David Fisher, New York Farm Bureau President said, "Dairy is New York's number one agricultural commodity and one of the main drivers of our rural economy, both important reasons to invest in our farms. The Dairy Farm Resiliency Act will increase the amount of milk that would be covered during periods of milk price instability, providing a stronger safety net for our farmers in tough times. New York Farm Bureau thanks Rep. Molinaro for his sponsorship of this legislation and his ongoing support of the state's farmers who are responsible for providing fresh, local food to our communities.”