Crop planting delayed because of Midwest flooding; affected farmers hope that won't hurt new trade aid payouts - Entrepreneur Generations

Extensive flooding in the Midwest has led to delayed planting for many farmers. That's increasingly becoming a complicating factor in the U.S. Department of Agriculture's efforts to create a $20 billion aid program for farmers hurt by the trade war with China.

"Farm groups have pushed for higher aid for their own commodities, and the National Farmers Union wrote Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue last week asking that USDA base payments on historical production. That would be different from the Market Facilitation Program payments created last year that were specifically tied to production levels," Chris Clayton writes for DTN/The Progressive Farmer. "With final planting dates for crop insurance quickly approaching, the formula used for trade aid could factor heavily in farmers' planting decisions in the coming weeks."

Corn and soybean planing are significantly behind, and more heavy rain and flooding is predicted for the next few weeks. "With planting so far behind normal and continued heavy rain and flooding still in the forecast for the Midwest and Plains through the end of May, expectations are high that the number of prevented planting acres could be large," Clayton reports. Some farmers may be forced to replant, and some will likely be unable to plant at all. For them, basing aid on historical production would make all the difference.

from The Rural Blog http://bit.ly/2M1sgDx Crop planting delayed because of Midwest flooding; affected farmers hope that won't hurt new trade aid payouts - Entrepreneur Generations

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