ODMAP Back To Help Organic Dairy Producers

Making a return in 2024, a USDA program designed to assist organic dairy producers.

“We made this assistance available back in 2023,” noted acting FSA deputy Administrator John Berge.  “We had the resources to be able to offer it again in 2024. This is a section of the industry that is pretty hard to hit with these additional marketing costs. And we thought that this would be an opportunity to help our small organic dairies in operation as they continue to sort of weather all these challenges that really aren't within their own controls.”

Burge says $58 billion is now available to producers through the Organic Dairy Marketing Assistance Program, ODMAP, a one-time cost share payment based on marketing cost on pounds of organic milk.

“It provides assistance to organic dairy producers of milk from cows, goats and sheep,” he noted.  “The applications are being accepted this year through November 29th.”

Offering eligible producers assistance for growing increases in; 

“Their marketing costs, along with increases in costs for feed and transportations and limited availability of organic grain.” 

Dairy growers, already familiar with ODMAP, might note two significant changes in the program compared to the previous year. 

“The first is we have increased the volume of milk that we will pay assistance on from five million pounds to nine million pounds, which is pretty significant.  And we also increased the payment rate from $1.10 cwt to $1.68 cwt.” 

Eligible organic dairy producers can apply for ODMAP at their local Farm Service Agency office.  So what kind of documentation do producers need to bring to their local office when they plan to apply?

“We're asking producers to certify to their number of pounds of 2023 milk production or to estimated production for 2024. We have to see the organic certification documentation, and then there's a pretty simple application form to fill out, and that's really it.”

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