July 25, 2019 – USDA has released details regarding the 2019 distribution of Market Facilitation Program (MFP) payments. These payments will aid farmers by offsetting suppressed commodity markets due to the ongoing trade war with China.

Producers can begin signing up at their local USDA office July 29 and must be signed up by December 6, 2019 in order to be eligible for payments. Payments will be distributed based on a County rate per acre and multiplied by the producer’s total acres, unlike 2018 payments which were based on actual production of certain commodities. Payments will be administered in up-to three dispersals, with the first payments being made in mid-to-late August and the potential 2nd and 3rd payments made in November and January.

County MFP payments will range from $15 to $150 per acre, (Click here for County rates) and are limited to $250,000 per producer or entity. Additionally, a producer’s 2019 acres exceeding 2018 acres will not be eligible for payments. Prevent plant acres that have not been planted or seeded to an approved USDA cover crop will also not be eligible for payments.

2019 support packages for agricultural producers is projected to not exceed $16 billion, with $14.5 billion earmarked specifically for the MFP program. The remaining funding within the budget will be used for USDA’s FPDP and ATP programs. Producers must have an adjusted gross income (AGI) totaling less than $900,000 in order to be eligible for any payments. Payments are designed to assist producers in challenging markets, and not encourage additional acres or production.

Peoples Company Land Managers are well versed in the MFP program and will be executing the necessary paperwork on behalf of clients in the coming weeks. To learn more about the program, please contact a Peoples Company Land Manager at 515-222-1347 or visit the official USDA press release: https://www.usda.gov/media/press-releases/2019/07/25/usda-announces-details-support-package-farmers