Roundtable participants asked the Farm Service Agency about the latest round of COVID relief. Producers of 2020 price trigger crops like soybeans and corn, along with flat rate crops like canola, are eligible to receive a payment of $20 per eligible acre for the crop. Prevent plant was a story for North Dakota in 2020. North Dakota Grain Growers Association President Tom Bernhardt made the point if producers took prevent plant, they wouldn’t get the $20 top up payment. FSA explained why. “When it comes to COVID assistance as a result of marketing the crop, if there’s no crop to market because it wasn’t planted, ultimately that’s why we based the benefits solely on planted acres instead of including prevent plant acres as well,” said Steve Peterson, associate administrator, FSA. “Some of the restrictions in using Commodity Credit Corporation funds is there has to be an impact and market price decline to be eligible.”
