USDA Offers $58 Million in Assistance To Help Organic Dairy Producers

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced $58 million available for marketing assistance to eligible organic dairy producers to expand the market for and increase the consumption of organic dairy. Applications for the Organic Dairy Marketing Assistance Program (ODMAP) will be accepted through November 29. See details on applying below.

ODMAP 2024 helps mitigate market volatility, higher input and transportation costs, and unstable feed supply and prices that have created unique hardships in the organic dairy industry. Specifically, through ODMAP 2024, USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) is assisting organic dairy operations with projected marketing costs in 2024, calculated using their marketing costs in 2023. FSA will begin accepting ODMAP 2024 applications on September 30. Eligible producers include certified organic dairy operations that produce milk from cows, goats, and sheep.

ODMAP 2024 Program Improvements 

Dairy producers who participate in ODMAP 2024 will benefit from improvements to provisions outlined in the program. Specifically, ODMAP 2024 provides for an increase in the payment rate to $1.68 per hundredweight compared to the previous $1.10 per cwt. Additionally, the production level eligible for marketing cost-share assistance has increased to 9 million pounds compared to the previous 5 million pounds.

How ODMAP 2024 Works

ODMAP 2024 provides a one-time cost-share payment to organic dairy operations that have increased milk production or entered the organic dairy market. The payment is based on marketing costs on pounds of organic milk marketed in the 2023 calendar year or estimated 2024 marketing costs. ODMAP 2024 and the original ODMAP 2023 assistance is provided through previously unused Commodity Credit Corporation funds from earlier pandemic assistance programs.

ODMAP 2024 provides financial assistance that immediately supports certified organic dairy marketing during 2024, keeping the organic dairy market sustainable until markets return to more normal conditions.

How To Apply

FSA is accepting applications from September 30 to November 29. To apply, producers should contact FSA at their local USDA Service Center. To complete the ODMAP 2024 application, producers must certify

ODMAP 2024 complements other assistance available to dairy producers, including Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC), with more than $36 million in benefits paid for the 2024 program year to date. Learn more on the FSA Dairy Programs webpage.