USDA Announces More Payments

Last Friday, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced that the second tranche of 2019 Market Facilitation Program (MFP) payments will begin the week before Thanksgiving. Tyron Spearman has more details. Sponsored ContentFlorida Cattle Enhancement Board Provides Funding For Quicker Response to Research QuestionsApril 10, 2026Florida Cattle Enhancement Board Provides Opportunities That Spark Research ProjectsApril 3, 2026United Dairy Farmers of …

USDA Issues Second Tranche of Market Facilitation Program

(USDA) — U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced the second tranche of 2019 Market Facilitation Program (MFP) payments aimed at assisting farmers suffering from damage due to unjustified trade retaliation by foreign nations. The payments will begin the week before Thanksgiving. Producers of MFP-eligible commodities will now be eligible to receive 25 percent of the total payment expected, in addition …

Is the Peanut Market in a Wait and See Mode?

Some are saying the peanut market right now is in a wait and see mode. Tyron Spearman has the story. Sponsored ContentFlorida Cattle Enhancement Board Provides Funding For Quicker Response to Research QuestionsApril 10, 2026Florida Cattle Enhancement Board Provides Opportunities That Spark Research ProjectsApril 3, 2026United Dairy Farmers of Florida Director Encouraged About the FutureMarch 27, 2026Florida Cattle Enhancement Board …

Farmers Turning to Riskier Loans to Stay in Business

(NAFB) — Weather challenges, trade tensions, and long-term financial struggles continue to make life difficult in the U.S. agricultural sector. The Wall Street Journal says those headwinds are forcing an increasing number of farmers and ranchers to take on high-interest loans from lenders outside of the ag sector, just to stay in business. The more traditional farm banks are offering …

Ag Lender Survey Shows Lower Profitability and Higher Concerns

(NAFB) — The American Bankers Association teamed up with Farmer Mac for their Fall 2019 Ag Lender Survey. The biggest takeaway from the report is that the agricultural economy and farm income remain under stress, with little if any signs of improvement ahead in 2020. Over 82 percent of lenders in the survey said farm profits were being squeezed this …

America’s Largest Milk Producer Files for Bankruptcy

(NAFB) — Dean Foods, a 94-year-old milk producer, is filing for bankruptcy. The largest milk producer in the country is struggling as Americans are no longer drinking as much milk from cows. This year has been especially difficult as company sales dropped seven percent in the first half of this year, with profits falling 14 percent. A CNN Dot Com …

Georgia Ag Commissioner on Timeline for Disaster Block Grants

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced last week that it will make available $800 million to Southeast agricultural producers affected by hurricanes Michael and Florence. The state block grants are part of a broader $3 billion package to help producers recover from 2018 and 2019 natural disasters. Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black explains that while information is out that signup …

2020 Enrollment for DMC Program Continues

Dairy producers are being reminded the enrollment period for the Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) for 2020 continues. The DMC program offers reasonably priced protection to dairy producers when the difference between the all-milk price and the average feed cost (the margin) falls below a certain dollar amount selected by the producer. The deadline to enroll in DMC for 2020 is Dec. 13, …

FSA Administrator Fordyce Explains Disaster Relief Block Grants

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced it will make available $800 million to agricultural producers in Alabama, Florida and Georgia affected by hurricanes Michael and Florence. The state block grants are part of a broader $3 billion package to help producers recover from 2018 and 2019 natural disasters, which includes the Wildfire and Hurricane Indemnity Program-Plus (WHIP+) as …