FRESNO, CA — Through February 29, 2024, dairy processors along the Pacific Coast are encouraged to apply HERE for grants from the Pacific Coast Coalition – Dairy Business Innovation Initiative (PCC-DBII). $4.1 million in grants are currently available to dairy processors in California, Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, Washington and Oregon. This fourth round of funding will include pandemic recovery (such as price declines and additional marketing costs due to COVID-19.)
Dairy producers and dairy processing businesses in the aforementioned states are invited to submit proposals that meet one or more of the PCC DBII program goals:
- Developing new dairy value-added products, culturally diverse and ethnic value-added dairy products to meet evolving consumer trends in the region.
- Adapting current dairy products to meet evolving consumer “wants,” to meet both domestic and export demand trends.
- Developing new product lines and expanding the dairy product portfolio to meet domestic and/or export demand for fresh milk and milk products.
- Expanding milk usage beyond food and drink, for example packaging/films, edible products for companion animals, cosmetics, and other high-value segments.
- Adding value to milk by increasing its intrinsic value through differentiation production system/feed additives for nutritional enhancement, and fractionation of components.
- Adopting alternative processing technologies for value-added dairy products, optimization, and/or recovery of high-value co-streams to increase the profitability of the dairy sector.
- Creating future opportunities for value-added ingredients and nutritional powders, milk fat products, and specialty blends, and decreasing the dependence on commodity markets.
- Developing sustainability leadership through innovation in packaging, processing efficiencies, reduced losses/waste, and novel uses of co-products (net-zero dairy processing plants). Note: Dairy producer and/or processor applicant(s) may need to partner with non-dairy entity(ies) to address this goal)
- Extending awareness and consumption of higher value dairy processing products through communications, strategic planning, marketing plans, and expanding hands-on agritourism
The PCC-DBII, hosted by California State University, Fresno and funded through the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service, is dedicated to strengthening and supporting the dairy industry. By addressing these goals, they seek to help diversify the dairy product market, reduce risk and develop higher value uses for dairy products, promote business development that diversifies farmer/processor income through innovation, and encourage the use of regionally produced milk.
The initiative is in collaboration with Cal Poly Humboldt, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Chapman University, Chico State, Oregon State University, Oregon Dairy and Nutrition Council, UC Davis, New Mexico State University, Washington State University, and the California Dairy Innovation Center. This is the fourth round of grant funding through the PCC-DBII. Once this round closes, the PCC-DBII will have made nearly $9.1 million in grants from the USDA AMS available to regional dairy businesses for innovation-related investments, helping dairy processors evolve their operations and adopt more sustainable practices.
Applications will be accepted January 2, 2024 – February 29, 2024. For more information: https://www.dairypcc.net/