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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 20, 2026
USDA announces $8 billion Harvest Fuel Relief;
ADC moves quickly to document dairy costs
Rapid-response survey targets milk hauling, fuel surcharges, forage harvest and other dairy fuel costs; broader survey goes farther
CHILTON, Wis. — American Dairy Coalition is asking dairy farmers across the country to put real farm numbers behind two pressing policy discussions through two separate anonymous producer surveys.
One is a new, rapid-response Dairy Fuel Survey, launched Oct. 20 after USDA announced an $8 billion Harvest Fuel Relief Program Oct. 19. The other is ADC’s broader Dairy Farm Pulse 2026 Economic Outlook Survey, launched Oct. 15 to capture the economic realities and outlook of dairy farms heading toward 2027.
Two surveys. Two different purposes. One goal: Put actual dairy-farm numbers on the table and into the conversations with policymakers and industry.
“We are glad to see the Harvest Fuel Relief program announcement and understand dairy farmers will benefit in per-acre calculations for Title I crops grown for feed. But that's a fraction of the ongoing fuel impact in continuous milk harvest and delivery," said American Dairy Coalition CEO Laurie Fischer.
“We hear every day from dairy farmers about what is happening with milk prices, margins and costs, but we need to quantify it. These surveys give farmers a direct way to help us put real numbers behind the issues we are working on,” Fischer noted.
Dairy Fuel Survey
USDA’s newly announced Harvest Fuel Relief Program on Oct. 19 will provide $8 billion in one-time assistance for increased input costs and temporary market disruptions during the 2026 crop year.
USDA says specific per-acre payment rates for Title I commodities will be released in November, with payment methods for other eligible commodities coming later. USDA is also seeking fuel-cost information from producers of non-Title I commodities.
According to the Trump Administration's announcement, “USDA has not yet announced final HFR eligibility, payment rates or payment methodology for all commodities.”
“This is our window,” said Sherry Bunting, ADC Market Analysis and Policy Advisor. “Dairy was not specifically identified in the announcement, and ADC wants to make sure dairy’s unique continuous fuel costs are understood as USDA develops the program.”
The Dairy Fuel Survey gathers farm-level information on milk hauling deductions and fuel surcharges, on-farm fuel costs, manure handling and hauling, hay acreage and cuttings as a non-Title I crop, and other routine fuel costs associated with producing and moving milk.
Farmers are urged to have their January, July and October 2026 milk statements handy when completing the survey by scanning the Red QR code titled Dairy Fuel Survey or go to https://qrco.de/DairyFuelSurvey
Dairy Farm Pulse 2026
Before the USDA announcement, ADC launched on Oct. 15 a broader dairy farm survey: The Dairy Farm Pulse 2026 Economic Outlook Survey.
“This survey takes a wider look at what is happening financially on dairy farms, the drivers, impacts, and outlook,” Bunting explained. “Response has been very strong in the first five days of the survey, but ADC wants participation from as many dairy regions and farm sizes as possible for useful and essential analysis.”
ADC would like to receive responses by Oct. 25 for initial analysis and will keep the survey open through Oct. 30 for producers who receive it later through print media and other channels. Dairy farmers can scan the Blue QR code titled Dairy Pulse 2026 or go to https://qrco.de/DairyPulse26
“These are two different surveys with two different purposes,” said Bunting. “The Dairy Fuel Survey gives us immediate rapid-response numbers to bring to the USDA Harvest Fuel Relief discussion. The Dairy Farm Pulse gives us a much broader picture of dairy farm economics and the drivers to drill into, which assist on the fuel question, but go much farther. Together, they help us bring the farmer’s actual experience to the table.”
Individual responses are anonymous. ADC will report the collective findings publicly and use these findings in policy, industry and economic discussions affecting dairy farmers.
Not a dairy farmer? ADC encourages dairy organizations, cooperatives, veterinarians, nutritionists, lenders, milk haulers and other allied industry participants to share both survey links with their dairy farmer customers, members and contacts. A separate allied industry survey is also being developed, so stay tuned for that.
About American Dairy Coalition
ADC is a grassroots dairy farmer organization focused on federal dairy policy and issues affecting the economic sustainability of U.S. dairy farms; advocacy by dairy farmers for dairy farmers.
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