Texas A&M University Agricultural and Food Policy Center co-director Bart Fischer is fielding questions from farmers on the USDA direct payment program. The agency still needs to clarify a few details, including the definition of un-priced inventory. “Our expectation is that the USDA will provide more details on how individual market contracts will be handled. A lot of hedging instruments farmers use are still subject to price risk,” says Fischer. ‘I think the expectation is farmers would be eligible, but the USDA will have the final say.” Payment limits are capped at $250,000. Fischer says this will likely help the USDA stay within available funds, but everyone is highlighting the fact that more needs to be done. Read the Texas A&M analysis on the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program.
News Categories
Latest RRFN Podcasts
Subscribe to RRFN
Get a weekly digest from RRFN to stay up-to-date on all the latest news in agriculture.