The U.S. Department of Agriculture has established the procedures required to provide direct tariff relief payments to growers to help offset some damage imposed by retaliatory tariffs.
Almonds & Cherries Added to Commodity List
Producers of almonds and cherries can now sign up for the Market Facilitation Program (MFP), which is a direct payment program for eligible growers who have been directly impacted by retaliatory tariffs, resulting in significant export losses.
Growers of shelled almonds are now eligible to apply for direct payments of $.03 per pound, and growers of fresh cherries can apply for direct payments of $.16 per pound, as part of the $12 billion mitigation package announced earlier this month. The damage assessment figure assigned to almonds is $63.3 million.
There are specific eligibility requirements that must be met by an applicant and the maximum payment per applicant is $125,000. Eligible growers may apply for MFP September 24, 2018 through January 15, 2019. Applications can be started beforehand and finalized when harvest is complete and production numbers are known. A payment will be issued on 50 percent of the producer’s total production, multiplied by the MFP rate for a specific commodity. A second payment period, if warranted, will be determined by the USDA.
Hog Program’s ‘Number of Head’ Determination Has Changed
In addition, the program for Hogs has changed. Instead of the number of head on Aug 1, 2018, the producer will be able to choose the number of head on any day between July 15 and Aug 15, 2018.
For more information about the MFP program, visit www.farmers.gov/MFP or contact your local FSA office. To find your local FSA office, visit www.farmers.gov.
Read more information on the relief from retaliatory tariffs:
- Details Announced for the Commodities Promised Relief by USDA
- How & When the USDA’s $12B Will Help Farmers and Ranchers
Please feel free to contact Matthew Farrell, a K·Coe Isom Farm Program Services specialist, for questions surrounding this program: mfarrell@kcoe.com.
