Changing Market Conditions to Influence Aid Package

Once the government reopens, USDA is expected to provide emergency relief to farmers similar to the 2019 Market Facilitation Program payments. In an interview with the Red River Farm Network, Deputy Agriculture Secretary Stephen Vaden emphasized this is not aid for aid’s sake—it is a bridge to help farmers get to 2026. “For that reason, we have to take into account current market conditions. When you and I spoke earlier this year at Farmfest, look at the soybean price then compared to the soybean price now. We’ve hit 15-month highs in soybean prices because of the deals that have been recently cut in Asia. That will need to be taken into account for any aid payments because obviously the price of commodities has risen, that’s what we want. We want market-based returns, and because the numbers have changed, our numbers will necessarily change.”