Minnesota dairy farmers will get a break from a new USDA program that's expected to stabilize milk prices.

The federal agency will buy milk and turn it into nonfat dry milk for use in school lunch programs, community food banks and nutrition programs, according to the St. Cloud Times. 

The goal is to stabilize milk prices, which have dropped by 50 percent in the past year.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar said it's only a start for the dairy industry.

“It’s not going to solve everything,” she said. “There’s more to be done. I am completely sympathetic to our dairy farms.”

Minnesota’s 7th District Rep. Collin Peterson, House Agriculture Committee chairman, released a statement Thursday in support of the Department of Agriculture program:

“This is a win-win situation that will offer relief to our nation’s dairy farmers who are suffering from high input costs and declining milk prices and to low-income American families who are finding it harder to put healthy food on the table during these difficult economic times.”

The federal announcement comes just a week after Vice President Joe Biden visited St. Cloud. During the visit, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack mentioned a new program would be created to help dairy farmers.