Virginia Dairy Producers Encouraged to Enroll in the Dairy Producers Margin Coverage Premium Assistance Program

What this means

A factual summary is pending editorial review. The complete official release is reproduced below with issuer attribution and a direct link to the original publication.

Official release

Source material from Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. The wording below is the issuer’s statement.

News Release

October 7, 2026

Virginia Dairy Producers Encouraged to Enroll in the Dairy Producers Margin Coverage Premium Assistance

Program

Program reimburses annual premium payment for federal Dairy Margin Coverage program

Richmond, Va. – The enrollment period for the U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm

Service Agency’s 2027 Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) program ends on Dec. 18,

2026. This voluntary risk management program provides dairy producers with financial assistance when the

margin between the all-milk price and average feed cost falls below a certain coverage level.

To aid Virginia dairy producers’ enrolling in the federal DMC program, the Virginia Department of

Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) administers the Dairy Producer Margin Coverage Premium

Assistance Program, which provides reimbursement funding to dairy producers for their federal

DMC program Tier One premium payment. Last year, 138 dairy farms, from 14 localities, applied to the Dairy

Producer Margin Coverage Premium Assistance Program and were reimbursed a total of $590,706.

To apply for the state premium coverage reimbursement, dairy producers must submit a Virginia Dairy

Producer Margin Coverage Premium Assistance Program application by May 15, 2027. To qualify for

reimbursement, a dairy farm must meet the following criteria:

Be enrolled in the 2027 DMC at the Tier 1 coverage level AND have paid the annual premium in full.

Maintain a Grade A milk permit issued by VDACS.

Be actively producing milk in Virginia at the time of application.

Have an active resource or nutrient management plan as approved by the Virginia Department of

Conservation and Recreation (DCR) or a local soil and water conservation district OR have a plan that is

under review by DCR or a local soil and water conservation district.

Provide a completed and signed Commonwealth of Virginia Substitute W-9 form.

Copies of required documents should be included in the application. Program reimbursement funds are

limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Applications may be emailed to milk@vdacs.virginia.gov.

Please include “2027 DPMC” in subject line. Applications may also be submitted by mail using the address

on the application.

Questions regarding the Dairy Producer Margin Coverage Premium Assistance Program should be directed to

the State Milk Commission at 804-786-2013 or milk@vdacs.virginia.gov.

Release text attributed to Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Consult the official publication for any subsequent corrections or updates.