This week, the Environmental Working Group released an analysis of federal farm payments from 2017 through 2020. EWG’s Senior Economic Analysist Anne Schechinger says those payments increased $16 billion over that time.

Nebraska Farm Bureau’s Director of National Affairs Jordan Dux responded to that report and said that the reason for those payments had to do with both the unforeseen COVID 19 pandemic and the trade war with China.

Schechinger says EWG is suggesting solutions the federal government needs to look at including installing farm program payment limits and targeted CFAP payments to those who need it the most.

Dux says even though it may look like larger farms are getting more of the payments, in many cases those operations include more than one family or recipient.

Dux says while both the Market Facilitation Program needs to remain in effect as well as the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program, the EWG wants to see those programs eliminated.