Op-Ed: DMC program depends on the margin between two numbers
- ZISK
- Feb 5
- 1 min read
My family owns and operates a dairy farm in Wisconsin. During the last several years, the Dairy Margin Coverage program has helped us stabilize our income during some very difficult times. For example, in April 2023, a low milk price of $20.70 provided me and my family with a much-needed DMC payment of $3.66 per cwt.
This past July, however, an equally low milk price—just 10 cents higher than April 2023—paid us absolutely nothing. Same program. Same level of coverage. Drastic fall in program support.
What happened? As I’m sure you know, the DMC program depends on the margin between two numbers. One is the milk price, and the other is the feed price index. Lower feed prices mean higher margins. Higher margins mean smaller payments. Today’s rock-bottom feed prices cancel out payments that would otherwise help us get through the struggles that too-low milk prices bring with them.
Jan 30, 2026
Comments