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SOME FARMERS WILL RECEIVE PAYMENTS FROM FOUR EMERGENCY GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS
Jun. 21, 2019
POLITICO reports:
Farmers who don't plant a crop this spring because of historic flooding in the Midwest could still potentially receive four separate payments on that acreage due to actions by the Trump administration and Congress, reports Pro Ag's Catherine Boudreau. Crop insurance payouts, disaster aid and two opportunities to earn income from cover crops - including from the trade mitigation package - are all on the table.
Farmers facing significant delays in getting a crop in the ground because of the weather may opt to collect what are known as prevented planting insurance payments. These producers also qualify for the $19 billion disaster aid package recently signed by President Donald Trump, after a major push by lawmakers like Sen. John Hoeven (R-N.D.). USDA earlier this month said it would release details soon about how it would implement that package.
Trade aid for cover crops: Farmers who file insurance claims for prevented planting can still plant cover crops, which include legumes, alfalfa and cereal grains, often for conservation purposes. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said USDA is considering whether it can make "minimum" payments to farmers for those cover crops under the $16 billion trade mitigation package, though the secretary has yet to announce a decision.
Boosting the market value: There is a greater chance that farmers will earn some money from the marketplace off cover crops after a USDA Risk Management Agency announcement on Thursday. RMA will allow growers to hay, graze or cut cover crops for silage and other livestock fodder after Sept. 1 and still be eligible for their full prevented planting insurance payment. That date is usually Nov. 1.
Scott Irwin, an agricultural economist at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, said the change gives growers a longer window to get some economic good out of the cover crops before temperatures drop and it becomes harder to make use of them. Lawmakers, including Senate Agriculture ranking member Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) said in a statement that the move also helps address shortages of animal feed caused by the recent extreme weather.
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