Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue has announced the third and final round of Market Facilitation Program payments are going out and will be in farmers bank accounts the end of this week. Minnesota Farmers Union President Gary Wertish says that’s good news for the regions producers who’ve been battling tough economic conditions as well as the impacts of the trade war and last year’s severe weather.
He says commodity prices aren’t currently where farmers need them to be able to at least break even.
Wertish says although earlier indications were that 2020 payments would not be forthcoming following the 2019 program, he thinks they could still happen.
Several crops are covered under the MFP including the basic Midwest crops like corn, alfalfa hay, barley, oats, sunflowers, sorghum, soybeans and wheat as well as 20 others. A producer’s total payment eligible plantings cannot exceed total 2018 plantings. County payment rates range from $15 to $150 per acre depending on the impact of unjustified trade retaliation in that county.
