Agricultural producers have until Feb. 14, 2019, to sign up for USDA’s Market Facilitation Program (MFP), launched last year to help producers suffering from damages due to unjustified trade retaliation. Producers can apply without proof of yield but must certify 2018 production by May 1, 2019. Since its launch in September 2018, more than 864,000 producers have applied, supporting those hit hard with nearly $8 billion in estimated payments.
Producers of corn, cotton, dairy, hogs, shelled almonds, sorghum, soybeans, fresh sweet cherries and wheat should apply at their local Farm Service Agency (FSA) office.
“Farmers are very resilient, and these payments are helping agricultural producers meet some of the costs of disrupted markets in 2018,” said USDA Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation Bill Northey. “We view it as a short-term solution to help America’s farmers, and we encourage impacted producers to apply for this program by the February 14 deadline.”
USDA previously announced the second and final round of trade mitigation payments. Producers need only sign-up once for the MFP to be eligible for the first and second payments.
How to Apply
MFP applications are available online at www.farmers.gov/MFP. Applications can be completed at a local FSA office or submitted electronically either by scanning, emailing or faxing. To locate or contact your local FSA office, visit www.farmers.gov.
Applications also can be completed via the farmers.gov dashboard by producers who have Level 2 eAuthentication accounts. Sign into the dashboard here: https://www.farmers.gov/sign-in. Producers who do not have an account can register for an account at www.eauth.usda.gov.