Milk Loss Program (MLP)

Milk Loss Program (MLP) is sponsored by USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA). Provides payments to eligible dairy operations for milk dumped or removed without compensation due to qualifying weather events in 2023 and/or 2024.

A **. gov** website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Farm Service Agency U.S. Department of Agriculture * Resources Toggle sub menu for Resources * * Loans Toggle sub menu for Loans * Climate-Smart Agriculture and Farm Loan Programs * Farm Storage Facility Loan (FSFL) Program * Highly Fractionated Indian Land Loan Program (HFIL) * Indian Tribal Land Acquisition Loan Program * Loan Deficiency Payments (LDP) * Marketing Assistance Loans (MAL) * Organic Dairy Marketing Assistance Program (ODMAP 2024) * * Conservation Toggle sub menu for Conservation * Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) * Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) * Farmable Wetlands Program (FWP) * Transition Incentives Program * Water-Saving Commodities (WSC) Program * * Disaster Recovery Toggle sub menu for Disaster Recovery * 2023/2024 Supplemental Disaster Assistance * Disaster Set-Aside Program (DSA) * Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish (ELAP) * Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) * Emergency Forest Restoration Program (EFRP) * Emergency Livestock Relief Program (ELRP) * Emergency Relief Program (ERP) * Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP) * Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) * Milk Loss Program (MLP) * Noninsured Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) * On-Farm Stored Commodity Loss Program (OFSCLP) * Supplemental Disaster Relief Program (SDRP) * Tree Assistance Program (TAP) * * Income Support Toggle sub menu for Income Support * Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) & Price Loss Coverage (PLC) * Assistance for Specialty Crop Farmers (ASCF) Program * Dairy Indemnity Payment Program (DIPP) * Dairy Margin Coverage Program (DMC) * Emergency Commodity Assistance Program (ECAP) * Farmer Bridge Assistance (FBA) Program * Marketing Assistance for Specialty Crops (MASC) * Organic Certification Cost Share Program (OCCSP) * Reimbursement Transportation Cost Payment (RTCP) * Strengthening Processing for U.S. Ranchers (SPUR) Program * * General Programs Toggle sub menu for General Programs * Certified Mediation Program (CMP) * Farm Labor Stabilization and Protection Pilot Grant Program * Food Safety Certification for Specialty Crops (FSCSC) Program * * Outreach & Education Toggle sub menu for Outreach & Education * Partner Organization Resources * State Outreach Coordinators * * Price Support Toggle sub menu for Price Support * Loan Deficiency Payments * Posted County Price Rates * * Economic and Policy Analysis Toggle sub menu for Economic and Policy Analysis * Commodity Loan Activity Reports * Wool and Mohair Reports * Financial Management Information * * Initiatives Toggle sub menu for Initiatives * Acreage Crop Reporting Streamlining Initiative (ACRSI) * Tools Toggle sub menu for Tools * * Decision-Making Toggle sub menu for Decision-Making * Emergency Livestock, Honey Bees, Fish * * Online Services Toggle sub menu for Online Services * * Informational Toggle sub menu for Informational * Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) * News & Events Toggle sub menu for News & Events * * Laws and Regulations Toggle sub menu for Laws and Regulations * Federal Register Notices * Federal Register Publications & Related Documents * Careers Toggle sub menu for Careers * Climate-Smart Agriculture and Farm Loan Programs * Farm Storage Facility Loan (FSFL) Program * Highly Fractionated Indian Land Loan Program (HFIL) * Indian Tribal Land Acquisition Loan Program * Loan Deficiency Payments (LDP) * Marketing Assistance Loans (MAL) * Organic Dairy Marketing Assistance Program (ODMAP 2024) * Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) * Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) * Farmable Wetlands Program (FWP) * Transition Incentives Program * Water-Saving Commodities (WSC) Program * 2023/2024 Supplemental Disaster Assistance * Disaster Set-Aside Program (DSA) * Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish (ELAP) * Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) * Emergency Forest Restoration Program (EFRP) * Emergency Livestock Relief Program (ELRP) * Emergency Relief Program (ERP) * Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP) * Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) * Milk Loss Program (MLP) * Noninsured Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) * On-Farm Stored Commodity Loss Program (OFSCLP) * Supplemental Disaster Relief Program (SDRP) * Tree Assistance Program (TAP) * Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) & Price Loss Coverage (PLC) * Assistance for Specialty Crop Farmers (ASCF) Program * Dairy Indemnity Payment Program (DIPP) * Dairy Margin Coverage Program (DMC) * Emergency Commodity Assistance Program (ECAP) * Farmer Bridge Assistance (FBA) Program * Marketing Assistance for Specialty Crops (MASC) * Organic Certification Cost Share Program (OCCSP) * Reimbursement Transportation Cost Payment (RTCP) * Strengthening Processing for U.S. Ranchers (SPUR) Program * Certified Mediation Program (CMP) * Farm Labor Stabilization and Protection Pilot Grant Program * Food Safety Certification for Specialty Crops (FSCSC) Program * Partner Organization Resources * State Outreach Coordinators * Loan Deficiency Payments * Posted County Price Rates * Economic and Policy Analysis * Commodity Loan Activity Reports * Wool and Mohair Reports * Financial Management Information * Acreage Crop Reporting Streamlining Initiative (ACRSI) # Milk Loss Program (MLP) The American Relief Act, 2025, provides up to $1.

65 million in Milk Loss Program (MLP) payments to eligible dairy operations for milk that was dumped or removed without compensation from the commercial milk market because of a qualifying weather event in 2023 and/or 2024.

Dairy operations that dumped or removed milk, without compensation, from the commercial milk market due to a qualifying weather event that impacted the delivery or storage of milk (e.g., power outages, impassable roads, infrastructure losses, etc.) during calendar years 2023 and 2024 may be eligible for assistance.

Qualifying disaster events include droughts, wildfires, hurricanes, floods, derechos, excessive heat, tornadoes, excessive moisture, winter storms, freeze (including a polar vortex) and smoke exposure that occurred in 2023 and/or 2024.

## MLP Payment Calculation: The MLP payment is determined by factoring the MLP payment calculation by the 75% MLP payment percentage The calculation for determining MLP payments is: (Base period per cow average daily milk production x (times) the number of milking cows in a claim period x (times) the number of days milk was dumped in a claim period) ÷ (divided by) 100 x (times) pay price per hundredweight (cwt.)

For payment calculations, the milk loss base period is the first full month of production before milk was dumped or removed. If program participation exceeds the $1. 65 million in available MLP funding, payments will be prorated based on the sum of eligible payments and available funds.

* Nov.

24, 2025:Sign-up begins * January 23, 2026:Sign-up ends To apply for MLP, producers must complete and submit the following to their local FSA county office: * FSA-376, Milk Loss Program Application * Milk Marketing Statement from: * The month prior to the month milk was removed or dumped * Detailed written statement of milk removal circumstance, including the weather event type and geographic scope, what transportation limitations occurred and any information on what was done with the removed milk.

In addition to filing the MLP application, producers must have additional forms on file with FSA as listed at the bottom of this page. The MLP application, supporting documentation, and required eligibility forms can be returned to local FSA county offices by one of the following methods: •Electronically using Box and One-span •Visit a local FSA county office to request an application.

The milk loss claim period is each calendar month when milk was dumped or removed from the commercial market. Each MLP application covers the loss in a single calendar month. Producers with milk losses that occurred in more than one calendar month due to the same qualifying weather event must submit a separate application for each month.

The days that are eligible for assistance begin on the date the milk was removed or dumped and for concurrent days milk was removed or dumped. Once the dairy operation restarted milk marketing, the dairy operation is ineligible for assistance unless, after restarting commercial milk marketing, additional milk was dumped due to the same qualifying disaster event. The yearly claims are limited to 30 days per year for 2023 and 2024.

MLP Rule (public inspection) * Form AD-2047, _Customer Data Worksheet_. Form CCC-901, _Member Information for Legal Entities_(if applicable). Form CCC-902, _Farm Operating Plan_ for an individual or legal entity.

Form CCC-943, _75 percent of Average Gross Income from Farming, Ranching, or Forestry Certification_ (if applicable) AD-1026, _Highly Erodible Land Conservation (HELC) and Wetland Conservation (WC)_ _Certification_ ### Additional Required Forms Frequently Asked Questions ### 1. Is all dumped milk eligible for MLP?

No. Only milk dumped in calendar years 2023 and 2024 that was dumped due to weather events where no payment was received, or partial payment was received for the dumped milk. ### 2. Is milk dumped due to antibiotics eligible for MLP?

No. Milk dumped due to antibiotics is not eligible. ### 3. Is milk dumped to H5N1 eligible for MLP?

No. Milk dumped to H5N1 is not eligible. Producers should ask FSA about assistance through the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program. ### 4.

What are the eligible weather events? Eligible weather events include drought, wildfires, hurricanes, floods, excessive heat, winter storms, freeze, polar vortex, severe moisture, tornadoes and smoke exposure. ### 5.

Is a federal disaster declaration required for MLP? No. A federal disaster declaration is not required to be eligible for MLP. ### 6.

How will a dairy operation know if the milk marketing organization paid for the dumped milk due to a weather event? The dairy operation will need to review the marketing statement for the applicable month and determine if pounds of milk production were recorded for each milk pick up. If they are recorded on the marketing statement they were most likely paid for the dumped milk.

### 7. How are the pounds of dumped milk determined? MLP determines the average daily milk production for the month proceeding the month milk was dumped as the base period.

The average daily milk production from the base period is multiplied by the number of days milk was dumped in the claim period and multiplied by the number of cows in the dairy operation’s herd. ### 8. What milk price is used to determine my payment for dumped milk through MLP?

The milk marketing statement is required to be provided when the MLP application is submitted, which provides the gross payment price for the applicable month. The net payment price the affected dairy operation received is determined by deducting the hauling rate fee by cwt and the $0. 15 promotion fee deduction from the gross payment price.

### 9. What determines how many days of dumped milk losses are eligible for MLP? The MLP eligible period begins on the day milk was dumped or removed and not marketed on the commercial market and ends on the day milk was last dumped or removed.

### 10. If I received an insurance indemnity payment for my dumped milk, am I eligible for MLP? If insurance paid for part of the value of the dumped milk, MLP will provide an additional payment up to the fair market value of the dumped milk.

### 11. Do affected dairy operations applying for MLP need to complete eligibility forms? Yes.

The following forms must be completed if not already on file with FSA: AD-2047, CCC-901, CCC-902, FSA-510 if applicable, and AD-1026 ### 12. Are MLP payments factored? Yes.

MLP payments are factored by a 75 percent factor. ### 13. Are MLP payments processed once the application is approved?

For 2025 MLP, limited funding is available. Consequently, payments will not be processed until the end of application period deadline, once it is determined if sufficient funding is available to pay all applications. A prorated factor will be applied if there is a funding shortfall.

## For Farmers and Ranchers * Find Loans and Other Programs Stay up to date on the latest from FSA * Non-Discrimination Statement