The Environmental Working Group has released a study on the first two rounds of the USDA’s Market Facilitation Program payments. The analysis shows through April of this year, MFP payments for 2018-19 were $8.4 billion. EWG’s Senior Advisor Don Carr says a majority of the payments went to the nation’s largest producers.

He says their analysis shows the MFP payments are not going to the farmers who need it the most.

Carr says to solve the MFP payment inequity payment limits must be tightened and only those actively engaged in farming should be eligible.

Carr says USDA needs a strategy to get the MFP funding to those farmers who have been hurt the most from the retaliatory tariffs rather than just throwing money at the problem.