USDA Undersecretary Bill Northey appeared at a sweetener meeting in Ashville, North Carolina, on Monday, providing some updates on the Market Facilitation Program 2 (MFP 2) payments and the coming supplemental disaster program, noting payouts for MFP 2 would come and the end of August and in September for disaster aid.
He said some disaster aid provisions still have to be approved by the Office of Management and Budget. Northey noted there would be a “top up” of small support for prevent plant acres in the coming disaster aid provisions, including some aid for stored grain damaged by floods.
Northey said this year could be characterized by being a challenging production year and a challenging marketing year. On trade policy matters, he said “we are around the corner from good news” on a trade deal with Japan, listing the country as “a very good market without drama.”
He said President Trump and USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue know that farmers have “chewed a lot of equity up” and that both are determined to assist the ag sector.
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