Senate Agriculture ranking member Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., released an updated report alleging inequities in payments from USDA's Market Facilitation Program (MFP). She said the data show a bias in payments towards large and Southern farms on a per-acre basis. “As farmers continue to face tough times, the Trump administration has failed to correct the serious inequities within their flawed trade assistance program,” Stabenow said in a statement. Stabenow argued MFP’s “relaxed payment and eligibility limits” have benefitted large farms and foreign companies at the expense of small and beginning farmers.
A USDA spokesperson disputed the findings, telling Politico “farms with less than 100 acres received an average of $55.90 per acre, while farms with more than 2,500 acres received an average $47.51 per acre.” The spokesperson also emphasized that MFP payments are made based on trade damage, not other factors.
Welcome
