Secretary Perdue Outlines USDA’s 2018 Farm Bill Implementation

(WASHINGTON, DC) Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue provided an update on USDA’s implementation of the 2018 Farm Bill Wednesday. In regards to Title One (Commodity Programs), Perdue says dairy producers who elected to participate in the Livestock Gross Margin for Dairy Cattle Program in 2018 were able to retroactively participate in the MPP-Dairy for 2018. More than $7 million dollars have been paid out to assist producers through this retroactive coverage. The Farm Service Agency (FSA) has also been offering reimbursements to eligible producers for MPP-Dairy premiums paid between 2014-2017 and more than $1.7 million in cash refunds have been paid. Sign up for the new Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) program began on June 17th with margin payments to be made beginning in early July. Finally, FSA will open elections for the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs for the 2019 and 2020 crop years beginning in September.