Farmers affected by trade retaliation can apply for financial assistance after harvest.
USDA plans to pay farmers a total of $4.7 billion in initial assistance through the Market Facilitation Program (MFP), which will be administered by the Farm Service Agency (FSA).
Applications are now available for pork, dairy and wheat producers. Corn and soybean farmers must wait until they can report their total 2018 production. The deadline to apply is Jan. 15, 2019.
Initial payments will be calculated by multiplying 50 percent of a farmer’s total 2018 actual production by the applicable commodity rate. Initial commodity payment rates include: Corn: $.01/bushel; Dairy (milk): $.12/cwt; Pork (hogs): $8/head; Soybeans: $1.65/bushel; Wheat: $.14/bushel.
To be eligible, applicants must have an ownership interest in the commodity, be actively engaged in farming and have an average gross income of less than $900,000 for tax years 2014, 2015 and 2016.
For more information on the MFP, or for an application, visit www.farmers.gov/manage/mfp or contact the DeKalb County FSA office.