The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced an investment of $20.2 million in the Dairy Business Innovation (DBI) Initiatives.
DBI awarded $18.4 million to three current Initiatives at University of Tennessee, Vermont Agency for Food and Marketing and University of Wisconsin, and $1.8 million to the California State University Fresno.
Since its inception in 2019, DBI initiatives have assisted dairy farmers and dairy businesses in business plan development, marketing and branding, and increasing access to innovative production and processing techniques. The overall goal is to support the development of value-added products.
“These awards will expand the scope of the Dairy Business Innovation program and provide much-needed support to small dairy farms and businesses as they continue to recover from the pandemic,” said USDA Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Jenny Moffitt.
“In addition to initiatives in the Southeast, Northeast and Midwest, a new initiative for the Pacific Coast is funded, led by California State University Fresno,” she added. “These DBI initiatives provide the dairy industry with additional capacity and expertise that will go beyond immediate assistance and set the stage for a more secure future.”
Source: The Dairy Site
