By Justin Walker
Communications Specialist
The second and final round of trade mitigation payments aimed at assisting farmers suffering from retaliatory tariffs was announced Dec. 17.
This action allows farmers of certain crops to be eligible to receive Market Facilitation Program (MFP) payments for the second half of their 2018 production.
“The president reaffirmed his support for American farmers and ranchers and made good on his promise, authorizing the second round of payments to be made in short order,” U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue said. “While there have been positive movements on the trade front, American farmers are continuing to experience losses due to unjustified trade retaliation by foreign nations. This assistance will help with short-term cash flow issues as we move into the new year.”
USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) has been administering MFP since September 2018, providing payments to farmers for the first half of 2018. The program has helped growers of almonds, corn, cotton, dairy, hogs, sorghum, soybeans, fresh sweet cherries and wheat.
“This latest trade mitigation package announcement will help our farmers and ranchers weather the continuing trade storm,” American Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall said. “We continue to feel price pressure and very real economic damage due to the trade actions other nations have taken against our U.S. farm exports.”
Farmers and ranchers who previously applied for the first round of payments are not required to sign up again. Applications have been available since September and must be completed by Jan. 15, 2019, with a deadline of May 1, 2019, to certify 2018 production numbers.
Although the program is beneficial, Duvall said it cannot be viewed as a long-term solution.
“While this assistance package will help a number of our farm families during this year of severe economic challenge, the best way to provide lasting relief is to continue pushing for trade and tariff reform from trading partners like China, Canada, Mexico, India, Turkey and the European Union,” he said.
For more information and instructions on how to apply, visit www.farmers.gov/mfp.