Dairy Market Loss Assistance (DMLA) was a series of programs of the United States Department of Agriculture to make emergency direct-payment programs for dairy farmers, in response to volatile farm milk prices.
It was funded over three consecutive years (FY1999-2001) by three separate emergency supplemental appropriations measures.
The primary purpose of these payments was to supplement dairy farmer income.
Dairy farmers received supplemental payments of $200 million provided by the Omnibus Consolidated and Emergency Appropriations Act, 1999 (P.L.
106-78) in DMLA-II; and $675 million in emergency provisions in the FY2001 agriculture appropriations act (P.L.