The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently released details of their Market Facilitation Program (MFP) which was instituted to aid farmers impacted by ongoing trade disputes that have resulted in tariffs instituted by the U.S. and China.
In order to assist producers and stakeholders decipher the program and plan for the upcoming planting season, AEDE researchers have released an analysis of the program to clarify and address stakeholder questions.
Ben Brown, OSU Farm Management Program Manager says the department believes in sharing information that will help Ohio producers access opportunities that are available to them.
Speaking to the announcement of the Market Facilitation Program, Brown says, "while nationally the entire trade assistance package offers both income and price support for some commodities, net income is still forecasted to decrease from 2017. Farmers who did not take advantage of early season market opportunities could be faced with the possibility of below cost of production prices. The MFP is available to all producers of corn, soybeans, wheat, grain, sorghum, cotton, dairy, pork, shelled almonds and fresh cherries. Considering that producers base 2019 planting decisions off of market condition, we do not believe there will be payments for cropping years after 2018."
AEDE Market Facilitation Report - A break-down with context for Ohio Producers.
AEDE Market Facilitation Flyer - A summary of important information.
USDA Trade Methodology Report- This details how payment rates were calculated.
FSR Market Faciliation Report News Brief - Updates on the rules for the program.
Sources:
Ben Brown, OSU Farm Management Program Manager, 614-688-8686
Dr. Ian Sheldon, Professor and Andersons Chair of Agricultural Marketing, Trade and Policy, 614-292-2194