The 2018 Farm Bill authorized the Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) program, which is a voluntary risk management program for dairy producers. DMC replaces the Margin Protection Program for Dairy (MPP-Dairy).

DMC continues to offer protection to dairy producers when the difference between the all milk price and the average feed price (the margin) falls below a certain dollar amount selected by the producer.  DMC is administered by the USDA - Farm Service Agency (FSA).  Contact your local USDA-FSA Office for more information.

Livestock Gross Margin (LGM) Dairy Insurance provides protection to dairy producers when feed costs rise and/or milk prices drop. Gross margin is the market value of milk minus feed costs.  LGM Dairy uses future prices for corn, soybean meal and milk (Class III) to determine the expected gross margin and the actual gross margin.  Click here for the LGM Dairy Fact Sheet.   2018 Farm Bill provisions allow for dairy operations to participate in both LGM-Dairy and the Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) program.

Dairy Revenue Protection (Dairy-RP) is designed to insure against unexpected declines in the quarterly revenue from milk sales relative to a guaranteed coverage level. The expected revenue is based on futures prices for milk and dairy commodities, and the amount of covered milk production elected by the dairy producer. The covered milk production is indexed to the state or region where the dairy producer is located.  Click here for additional information.

Grain & Silage Corn may be covered with yield protection or revenue protection or a combination of yield and revenue protection under Federal Crop Insurance. Click here:  for a fact sheet on the policy.

Pasture, Rangeland, Forage Pilot Insurance Program.   This innovative pilot program, available to Massachusetts producers for the first time beginning with the 2016 crop year, is based on precipitation, using the Rainfall Index. This program is designed to give producers the ability to buy insurance protection for losses of forage produced for grazing or harvested for hay, which result in increased costs for feed, destocking, depopulating, or other actions.  No record keeping is required.  Sales closing date is November 15th.  Contact an authorized Federal crop insurance sales agent for more details including a quote.  

To contact an authorized Federal crop insurance sales agent, click here.

There are no Federal Crop Insurance programs for hay and forage crops.  USDA - Farm Service Agency can provide protection under the Non-Insured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP).  Beginning with the 2016 crop year,  quality losses for hay crops are now covered.  Contact your local USDA-FSA Office for more information.

For further information, contact UMass Extension Risk Management Specialists, Paul Russell at pmrussell@umass.edu or Tom Smiarowski at tsmiarowski@umass.edu .