Dear Friend,

As a member of Wisconsin’s dairy community, Senator Baldwin wanted to make sure you were aware there is still time to enroll in the improved Dairy Margin Protection Program (MPP).

Knowing the pressures farmers face to get their fieldwork done this time of year, Senator Baldwin requested an extension in order for Wisconsin’s dairy community to have additional time to evaluate the MPP program and the changes that were made in the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018.

Now, as a result of Senator Baldwin’s bipartisan efforts, the deadline to re-enroll has been extended to this Friday, June 8, 2018.

Visit your local USDA service center to learn more and enroll by June 8th

Senator Baldwin worked to secure updates to the MPP program that are effective upon enrollment and provide more cost-effective protections for dairy farmers, including lower premium rates for better coverage. With the changes secured by Senator Baldwin and authorized under the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) has extended the enrollment period until this Friday, June 8, 2018, and has made coverage selected in the new enrollment period retroactive to January 1, 2018.

Changes to the MPP program Senator Baldwin worked to secure include:

  • Monthly rather than bi-monthly calculations of the margin period
  • Covered production has increased to 5 million pounds on the Tier 1 premium schedule, and premium rates for Tier 1 are substantially lowered
  • An exemption from paying an administrative fee for limited resource, beginning, veteran, and disadvantaged producers. Dairy operators enrolled in the previous 2018 enrollment period that qualify for this exemption under the new provisions may request a refund

Farmers are encouraged to visit the USDA's MPP webpage to review what the updates would mean for their operation, based on their unique production history and preferred coverage level.

Read more about how to enroll in the MPP and Senator Baldwin’s efforts in support of Wisconsin dairy farmers here.