After anxiously waiting for the final tranche of the 2019 Market Facilitation Program (MFP), the third MFP payment should begin arriving in farmers’ bank accounts by the end of the week. U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced that under the direction of President Donald Trump, the final installment of payments for farmers who were negatively impacted by troubling trade relations will be appearing soon.
“We must not forget that 2019 was a tough year for farmers as they were the tip of the spear when it came to unfair trade retaliation. President Trump has shown time and again that he is fighting for America’s farmers and ranchers and this third tranche of 2019 MFP payments is proof,” Secretary Perdue said in a press release. “President Trump is following through on his promise to help and support farmers as he continues to fight for fair market access just like he did with China.”
The third MFP payment will be made by the USDA Farm Service Agency to producers of various types of crops including upland cotton, wheat, sorghum, long grain and medium grain rice, as well as alfalfa hay. The assistance provided for non-specialty crops is derived from a single county payment rate which is multiplied by the total amount of plantings of MFP-eligible crops in 2019. Payments by county can range between $15 and $150 per acre and are dependent on the level of impact growers experienced from the trade retaliation. To be eligible for MFP assistance, all non-specialty and cover crops would need to have been planted by August 1, 2019.
Specialty crop payments for things such as pistachios, almonds, walnuts, and fresh grapes will be based on 2019 acreage. Payments under the program are limited to a combined $250,000 per person or legal entity, with no applicants allowed to receive more than $500,000. Payment rate information for the various different commodities is available online.
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