DeLauro Praises Support for Dairy Farmers

Washington, DC— Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-3), chair of the House Agriculture-FDA Appropriations Subcommittee, today released the following statement applauding the Dairy Economic Loss Assistance Payment (DELAP) program. The program is included as part of the Fiscal Year 2010 Agriculture Appropriations bill.

This program, which will be implemented by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, will provide $290 million of loss assistance payments to eligible dairy farmers who have been impacted by falling milk prices, particularly over the last year. On average, the profit made by dairy farmers in the summer of 2009 was about half of what it cost them to produce the milk.

Dairy farmers in Connecticut have been particularly hard hit-- in 1990, the state had 500 dairy farms; by 2000, the number had declined to 240 dairy farms; and today there are only about 150 in the state.

“Our dairy farms are a vital part of the economy, and our national history, but in the past two years, the industry has been devastated by low prices and high production costs. With dairy farmers losing money working 100 hours a week, we must do what we can to provide them with the assistance they need.  That is why I worked to include funding for this assistance in this year’s Agriculture Appropriations bill, and I am pleased that the USDA is acting quickly to distribute these funds,” said Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro. “The DELAP program will enable dairy farmers across the country, and at home in Connecticut, to stabilize their operations and weather this current recession.”