USDA offers financial support to help dairy producers enhance biosecurity and offset costs associated with Influenza A testing, veterinary expenses, personal protective equipment purchases, milk disposal, and milk losses.
Available Options
Available to all dairy producers—up to $1,500 per premises + $100 for in-line milk sampler
USDA provides support to develop biosecurity plans. This includes recommended enhanced biosecurity for individuals that frequently move between dairy premises (such as milk haulers, veterinarians, feed trucks, and artificial insemination technicians) as well as on-farm disease management practices, mitigations for wildlife and birds, and other key biosecurity practices. Also, USDA's Farm Service Agency (FSA) provides farm loans for biosecurity measures (462.94 KB).
- You can elect to hire private entities to develop site-specific plans, conduct biosecurity trainings, and perform audits.
- You are compensated up to $1,500 per affected premises for these services after verification and inclusion on the detailed financial plan.
- You can elect to work with State personnel who would develop site-specific plans, conduct biosecurity trainings, and perform audits.
- States are compensated under a cooperative agreement based on the flat rates for the activities you have chosen.
- USDA provides a $100 payment to producers who purchase and install an in-line sampler for their milk system.
Available to all dairy producers—up to $100 (combined) per premises each month
USDA will pay for the cost of shipping samples to laboratories in the National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN) for HPAI testing.
- USDA will pay actual shipping costs, not to exceed $50 per shipment for up to two shipments per month for each affected premises.
- Testing at NAHLN laboratories for samples associated with this event (for example, premovement, testing of sick or suspect animals, or samples from concerned producers) is already being conducted at no cost to the producer.
Available to unaffected dairy producers only—up to $2,000 per premises
USDA reimburses dairy producers without affected herds for veterinary costs associated with sample collection. From the date of the Federal Order, April 29, 2024, and up to 120 days total, eligible expenses include:
- Veterinarian’s fees (for example, hourly rate or call fee)
- Supplies for HPAI-related sample collection
Available to dairy producers with affected herds—up to $10,000 per premises
USDA provides support to producers to cover veterinary costs necessarily incurred for treating cattle infected with HPAI. From 14 days prior to confirmation and up to 120 days total, eligible expenses include:
- Veterinarian’s fees and supplies for HPAI-related animal treatment and sample collection
- An itemized receipt must be provided.
- Labor hours for farm workers to administer treatment
Available to dairy producers with affected herds—up to $2,000 per premises per month
USDA provides financial support to producers with affected herds who supply personal protective equipment (PPE) to employees, outerwear uniform laundering, or both pending their workers' participation in a USDA-CDC workplace and farmworker study.
Participation in a CDC epidemiological study is required. Eligible expenses include:
- A flat rate per employee is offered to producers who elect this option, up to $10 per person or PPE set.
- Laundering costs, beyond activities normally conducted on the farm, including purchase of increased efficiency machines or detergent with greater cleaning or sanitizing efficacy.
You need to provide proof of purchase of PPE or the cost of laundering services.
Available to dairy producers with affected herds—up to $8,000 per premises
This gives producers a safe option to dispose of their milk or inactivate virus in colostrum. Heat treatment performed per U.S. Food and Drug Administration standards is the only available method currently considered to effectively inactivate the virus in milk.
- If a producer establishes a system to heat treat all waste milk before disposal or colostrum prior to feeding, USDA will pay the producer up to $2,000 per month, up to $8,000 total, per affected premises.
Available to dairy producers with affected herds
USDA's Farm Service Agency (FSA) is accepting applications through its updated Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program to provide financial assistance to dairy producers who incur milk losses due to HPAI infection in their dairy herds.
How To Participate
- Contact your Area Veterinarian in Charge or State animal health official to enroll.
- Sign an agreement detailing the options you want to use; this includes a stipulation for USDA personnel to conduct a review every 30 days to monitor implementation of these options.
- Work with USDA personnel to develop a plan for your premises.
- Register with the U.S. Government System for Award Management (SAM), which provides a mechanism of payment, or an alternative payment method (electronic funds transfer or paper check). SAM payments are the most timely.
- Track expenses and maintain receipts for reimbursement.
- Submit receipts for reimbursement either every 30 days (4 times) or at the end of the 120-day enrollment period.
Weekly Updates: Herd Enrollment
Herd enrollment information is updated on Fridays.
A total of 795 herds across 18 States are currently enrolled in USDA’s HPAI financial support programs for dairy cattle producers. In addition, 931 producer applications have been processed into the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP); $355,869,024.16 has been paid to date.
Related Links
- Postcard: USDA Financial Assistance is Available for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (H5N1)
- Factsheet: USDA Support for Dairy Herd Producers
- Bulletin: USDA Offers Assistance and Resources for Recovery from and Prevention of HPAI H5N1 in Dairy Herds (7/1/24)
- Press Release: USDA Expands Support for Producers to Stop the Spread of H5N1 in Dairy Cattle (5/23/24)