Distribute pandemic market volatility assistance program monies to dairy farmers who received a lower value due to market abnormalities caused by the pandemic and ensuing federal policies

The Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Marketing Service awarded Prairie Farms Dairy Inc. a $1.5 million cooperative agreement under the Pandemic Market Volatility Assistance Program (PMVAP, CFDA 10.183) from April 2023 through December 2024. Under the agreement, Prairie Farms will distribute pandemic assistance payments to eligible dairy farmers who received lower values for their milk due to market abnormalities caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and related federal policies. Prairie Farms must obtain adjusted gross income attestations from eligible producers, issue 1099-MISC forms reflecting individual payments of less than $100, provide documentation that funds were distributed according to program rules, and conduct dairy policy education for benefitting farmers. As the prime recipient of PMVAP funds, Prairie Farms is responsible for fully administering payments to dairy farmers whose milk was marketed through the company to handlers regulated by federal milk marketing orders from July to December 2020.

Recipients will disburse pmvap monies to eligible producers. In additional, recipients must obtain adjusted gross income attestations from eligible producers, issue 1099-misc to each producer reflecting their pmvap payment, provide documentation payments were made in accordance to program rules, and provide dairy policy education to eligible producers. Recipients will disburse all pmvap monies to eligible producers, provide and document dairy policy education efforts, and be subject to payment verification by USDA staff. Dairy farmers whose milk we marketed to a federal milk marketing order regulated handler during july through december 2020 are the intended beneficiaries. There are no subrecipient activities.