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Hoeven discusses new $16M aid package with ND producers

D. Webster

Senator John Hoeven held a roundtable discussion with North Dakota ag producers and lenders to get feedback on another round of Market Facilitation Program, or MFP payments.

President Trump's first round of MFP was $12 billion in aid to producers impacted by the trade war. This second round will total $16 billion - $14.5 billion will go directly through MFP payments, $1.4 billion will go to farm purchases and $100 million will go toward trade assistance. Shelly Ziesch is a rancher near Pettibone, North Dakota and attended the roundtable on behalf of North Dakota Farmers Union. She says the aid is much needed - but knows it's not a "cure-all." She says she attended the meeting to talk to Senator Hoeven about making sure ranchers are properly compensated.

"We're just asking to keep it a level playing field, and keep everybody in mind as they're doing the programs and rolling them out. Last time there was a buy-up, but the beef industry only saw about $14 million worth of buy-up while other industries got considerably more and were also part of the payment program too. I don't want to pick on hogs, but - they got $8 a head, and they also got $5 million worth of buy-up."

MFA payments will cover all Title I commodities and be based on a single county rate multiplied by a farm's total plantings to those crops in aggregate in 2019. Farmers have until July 15 to plant and certify their crop with FSA.