The USDA just launched a program that could help value-added dairy producers access capital to start or expand their businesses while avoiding rising interest rates. On December 9, 2021, The Food Supply Chain Guaranteed Loan Program was announced as part of the Build Back Better initiative to address bottlenecks and weaknesses in the middle of the US supply chain that were exposed by the COVID-19 Pandemic. Through this program, the USDA will guarantee 90% of loans of up to $40 million for qualified lenders to finance projects that increase access and capacity to processing for small and medium sized farmers. Projects that would be eligible for funding include food aggregation, processing, manufacturing, storage, transportation, wholesaling, and distribution. Those seeking financing through this program will need to work through a participating lender and have a feasibility study completed by a third party. For more information click here.