During her visit to the state of Iowa on Monday, USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins discussed the possibility of payments to farmers impacted by trade disruptions and tariffs. On Tuesday, United States Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) confirmed that Rollins addressed the topic of potential market disruption payments.
According to the U.S. Government Accountability Office, “USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) administered the Market Facilitation Program, which distributed payments to farms for losses caused by international trade disruptions in 2018 and 2019. FSA distributed $23 billion in such payments for those years.”
Senator Grassley was asked if he thinks the program was effective in its use in 2018 and 2019 and whether similar payments will be needed again because of trade disruptions and tariffs.
Senator Grassley made his comments on Tuesday during his weekly ag conference call with farm broadcasters and reporters.
