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Farmers trying to make sense of mixed MFP signals
Farmers are trying to make sense of the mixed signals the Trump Administration is sending on the Market Facilitation Program.
Less than two weeks ago, President Trump tweeted that more aid will come if trade commitments don’t materialize. But Ag Secretary Perdue said Wednesday the odds of more MFP are “about 10 percent.”
Austen Germolus of Ada in northwest Minnesota says he’s not looking for a free handout.
“But we as farmers built those relationships with China, and I believe that through the tariffs the trade has been adversely affected. It’s obviously set us back.”
He tells Brownfield the MFP payments are appreciated.
“But like anyone would say, we’d rather just have our commodity markets and trade back, rather than getting a handout.”
Germolus says he hopes 2020 provides better yields and a better market so farmers don’t even need to talk about MFP.
