Governor Ned Lamont announced that he is planning to release $22.5 million from Connecticut’s recently created Federal Cuts Response Fund to provide immediate relief to the state’s dairy farmers.
Recent decisions made by the federal government are putting many of these small, family-owned businesses at the edge of financial ruin. This is largely due to federally-set milk prices that favor large corporate farms over Connecticut’s family-owned dairies, tariff policies that have driven up the costs of production necessities like fertilizer and farm equipment while triggering retaliatory trade actions from key export partners, and the U.S. war in Iran that is significantly driving up the costs of fuel and fertilizer.
“Connecticut’s dairy farms are small, family-owned businesses that support jobs and provide fresh, nutritious food for our communities,” Governor Lamont said. “Recent actions on the federal level are significantly driving up the costs of dairy production, causing devastating harm to this sector of our economy. We need to protect our dairy farms before they are permanently lost. Connecticut will continue standing with dairy farmers to help these businesses succeed.”
As required under the law establishing the Federal Cuts Response Fund, Governor Lamont will soon transmit a letter to the six bipartisan legislative leaders notifying them of his plans to make a withdrawal from this fund for this purpose. The bipartisan legislative leaders will then have 24 hours to review and—if it is their will—disapprove of the expenditure before the funds can be legally transferred.
