More Time for MFP Certification

May 1 was the date that farmers originally had to submit their 2018 production evidence to the Farm Service Agency in order to receive Market Facilitation Payments (MFP) under the tariff aid plan put in place by the Trump administration. But USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue this weekend announced farmers will have until May 17 to get that info to FSA offices. Weather factored into the decision to extend the deadline, as USDA noted that extended the deadline because heavy rainfall and snowfall have delayed harvests in many parts of the country, preventing producers from certifying acres. To date, more than $8.3 billion has been paid to nearly 600,000 applicants. MFP provides payments to producers of corn, cotton, sorghum, soybeans, wheat, dairy, hogs, fresh sweet cherries and shelled almonds. However, he reiterated what he has said before on this topic – the MFP/trade aid effort was only for 2018 crops and will not be resurrected for 2019 production.