Wisconsin Gov. Evers Writes to Agriculture Secretary: Scrap the Dairy Innovation Program's New 25% Match Requirement
Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers wrote to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins on October 20, formally asking her to reverse a suddenly introduced policy: a new 25% matching-funds requirement for the Fiscal Year 2026 Dairy Business Innovation Initiative (DBII).
Evers warned in the letter that the program's four regional centers — run by public universities, state agriculture agencies and nonprofit industry organizations — cannot meet the new match threshold; if USDA does not withdraw the provision and reissue the funding announcement, the centers will be forced to shut down, and small dairy businesses will lose critical funding and technical support for diversifying products, expanding processing capacity and opening new markets. Evers noted that the administrative burden arrives at a difficult time for agricultural producers facing severe drought, high fuel costs and sharp market volatility.
Together with 28 dairy industry organizations and U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin, he urged Rollins to back USDA's commitment to America's dairy farmers with action and cancel the match rule quickly.
Wisconsin is one of the nation's leading dairy states, and the innovation initiative has long provided funding and technical assistance to dairy farmers, cheesemakers and processors.
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：威斯康星州州长托尼·埃弗斯官方照片。图片来源：威斯康星州州长办公室 / Photo: Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers, official photo. Source: Office of the Governor of Wisconsin
