A dairy group is applauding the proposed ag funding increases from the Senate Appropriations Committee.
Rebekah Sweeney with the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association tells Brownfield the Senate plan increases funding for several important programs. “That includes things like nutrition programs, WIC and SNAP, agricultural research, food safety positions at the FDA, and important to a lot of dairy processors and dairy farmers, the Dairy Business Innovation Initiative.”
Sweeney says the committee, at the urging of Wisconsin Senator Tammy Baldwin, increased Dairy Business Innovation Initiative funding by five million dollars, bringing the 2025 investment up to 17 million dollars. “At least half of all of the funding that goes to DBII goes right out to grants to farmers and processors for things like modernization projects, equipment purchases, development of new value-added dairy products.”
She says in some cases, DBII funding helps farmers start their own on-farm processing.
There are four Dairy Business Innovation Initiative centers in the U.S., and Sweeney says every penny is well-used. “I think that’s part of the reason why Members of Congress and USDA have great faith in this program is because we’re judicious about how those dollars are used. Our farmers and processors understand the value of every dollar and they make the most of them, and we’re seeing great success stories come out of this program.”
The Senate proposal for Fiscal Year 2025 appropriations advanced Thursday, providing more than $27 billion in total ag funding, and 821 million dollars more than 2024.
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