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More on MFP-2

USDA announced details of the Market Facilitation Program on Thursday. Payment rates will range from 15 dollars to 150 dollars per acre, with most expected to be in the 50 to 75 dollar range. The first payment is expected in mid-August. Sign-up for the program begins this Monday.

“What we need from a producer is the number of acres that producers planted to qualifying crops in that county,” says USDA Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation Bill Northey. “In many cases, we already have that in the acreage certification the producer has provided to the county.

“We want sign-up to be easy for producers—straightforward—and that we can get these payment to them to be able to address the challenges that they have due to these tariffs.”

The MFP announcement was generally well-received by most farm groups.

The American Farm Bureau says it is grateful for the continued trade assistance to help famers and ranchers stay in business. The American Soybean Association says it is glad that the Trump Administration continues to recognize the ongoing struggle of soybean farmers caught in the middle of the trade war with China.

However, both groups say what America’s farmers really want is a resolution of trade disputes and restoration of their ag markets.