MADISON, WIS. – The Dairy Business Innovation Alliance (DBIA) shared that it has $100,000 in reimbursement grants available to support on-farm biosecurity efforts tied to the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreak impacting dairy cattle.

DBIA advised that grants will be worth up to $10,000 apiece, and the funding will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis to Midwestern dairy farmers.

The Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) and Center for Dairy Research (CDR) partner to administer DBIA, and grant applications are accessible through WCMA’s website.

"We know that farmers face myriad pressures, and we want to help them feel supported as they address new challenges posed by the outbreak of H5N1 in dairy herds,” said Rebekah Sweeney, WCMA’s senior director of programs and policy. “WCMA, together with our friends at CDR, are pleased to offer funding for dairy businesses to maintain safety and security for their operations, employees and animals.”

Dairy farmers operating in DBIA’s 11-state service region – Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin – may apply for the grants, which DBIA said may be used to support the purchase of equipment and supplies, employee training, and biosecurity consulting services.

More details are available online via the WCMA website.