WCMA Calls on USDA to Release Critical DBIA Funding

Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) today sent a letter calling on U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Brooke Rollins to immediately release Congressionally-directed funding for the successful Dairy Business Innovation (DBI) Initiatives. Agency officials confirmed a program freeze yesterday, action which jeopardizes $28.6 million in grant funding and stands to impact 420 dairy businesses nationwide.

“The funds provided through DBIs empower dairy farmers and processors to grow their capacity, explore new innovations, and become more resilient. These programs are much more than money – they strengthen the fabric of America’s dairy industry,” said WCMA Senior Director of Programs & Policy Rebekah Sweeney. “We are deeply concerned about the wide-reaching impacts of this decision, and we urge USDA to honor its commitment to our nation’s dairy businesses and release this funding now."

One of four DBI centers, the Dairy Business Innovation Alliance (DBIA), is administered by WCMA and the Center for Dairy Research in the Midwest. DBIA has 88 awards in process today, with nearly $6.5 million in outstanding promised reimbursement.  Nearly 90 percent of DBIA monies have been awarded to very small businesses, employing less than 50 people.

"These are operations running on tight margins, hard work, and a shared passion for feeding the world, often staffed by families or a small team of community members. They cannot afford a funding pause; they need action now,” added Sweeney.

Members of the dairy industry, regardless of whether they receive DBI assistance, can visit tinyurl.com/dbifunding now to join WCMA’s call for action.

The DBIA was created with bipartisan support in the 2018 federal Farm Bill. Since then, the Alliance has awarded over $20 million across more than 250 grants to small and medium-sized Midwestern dairy farms and processors across its 11-state service area of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. The program also offers technical assistance to dairy farmers and processors in its service region.