The information below has been supplied by dairy marketers and other industry organizations. It has not been edited, verified or endorsed by Hoard’s Dairyman.

The following is a statement by FarmFirst Dairy Cooperative President, John Rettler, dairy farmer, Neosho, WI:

“FarmFirst appreciates USDA’s commitment to support agricultural producers and businesses that are still recovering from all the uncertainty from last year. The funding from the Pandemic Assistance package will address any disruptions experienced in our supply chains, as well as provide investments that can lead to long-term improvements in our supply chain as a whole.

FarmFirst applauds the USDA for moving forward with making this round of pandemic assistance available and will work in stride with the USDA to ensure the funds are used as efficiently as possible. The USDA has stated their desire to deliver greater value directly to farmers, growers, and workers, and FarmFirst is eager to see this come to fruition.

Building these long-term solutions and farmer resources, USDA is creating a foundation that will prepare U.S. agriculture to be ready to meet the demands of a recovering economy. FarmFirst looks forward to building this success for the future.”

FarmFirst Dairy Cooperative, established in 2013 and based in Madison, Wis., represents farmers in Wisconsin, Minnesota, South Dakota, Michigan, Iowa, Illinois, and Indiana by providing legislative and regulatory advocacy, dairy marketing services, disaster protection, laboratory testing opportunities and industry promotion. Learn more about FarmFirst Dairy Cooperative by visiting: www.FarmFirstDairyCooperative.com.