I joined others members of the House Agriculture Committee in meeting with USDA Undersecretary Bill Northey last Thursday. Undersecretary Northey presented details of the Market Facilitation Program (MFP), implementation of the 2018 Farm Bill commodity and crop insurance provisions, as well as the status of disaster supplemental assistance.

I also heard from and asked questions of administrators of the Farm Service Agency, Risk Management Agency, and the Natural Resources Conservation Service.

Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue has announced further details of the $16 billion package announced in June aimed at supporting farmers and ranchers while the Trump administration continues to work on free, fair, and reciprocal trade deals around the world.

The Market Facilitation Program (MFP) provides direct assistance to producers with commodities that have been impacted by retaliatory tariffs and will be made in up-to three tranches, with the second and third evaluated as market conditions and trade opportunities dictate. USDA will begin making first tranche payments in mid-to-late August which will be comprised of the higher of either 50% of a producer’s calculated payment or $15 per acre, which may reduce potential payments to be made in future tranches. If future market conditions warrant, the second and third tranches will be made in November and early January, respectively.

MFP payments are based on a single county payment rate multiplied by a farm’s total plantings of MFP-eligible crops in aggregate in 2019 and are not dependent on the type of eligible crop planted. Additionally, a producer’s total payment-eligible plantings cannot exceed total 2018 plantings. County payment rates range from $15 to $73 per acre in Kansas, depending on the impact of unjustified trade retaliation for the county. To see the payment rate for your county, Click Here.

Dairy producers who were in business as of June 1, 2019, will receive a per hundredweight payment on production history, and hog producers will receive a payment based on the number of live hogs owned on a day selected by the producer between April 1 and May 15, 2019.

Eligibility in the 2019 program is not contingent upon participation in the 2018 MFP program. Signup for the 2019 MFP will take place at your local FSA office and will run from Monday, July 29 through Friday, December 6, 2019. Acreage of non-specialty crops and cover crops must be planted by August 1, 2019 to be considered eligible for MFP payments. As a result of the flooding this spring, producers who filed a prevented planting claim and planted an FSA-certified cover crop, with the potential to be harvested, qualify for a $15 per acre payment. Acres that were not planted in 2019 will not be eligible for MFP payments.

A second program – Agricultural Trade Promotion (ATP) – will utilize up to $100 million to help locate new and emerging markets around the world to establish new export opportunities for our producers. The third program – Food Purchase and Distribution Program (FPDP) – calls for USDA to purchase up to $1.4 billion worth of surplus commodities from farmers and ranchers across the country for donation to our nation’s food banks.

Dr. Roger Marshall, R-Great Bend, is the First District Kansas Congressman.

By GLENN BRUNKOW
Pottawatomie County farmer and rancher

This week is Kansas Farm Bureau’s Centennial Tour. This event will celebrate Kansas agriculture across the state and highlight its diversity and ingenuity. There will be lots of good food, celebration and, most importantly, great fellowship. Kansas Farm Bureau has a lot to celebrate, and it will be a party from one end of this great state to the other.

While we should reflect on our accomplishments and what we have achieved over the last 100 years, this is also the time to look toward the next 100. What will this organization look like in 2119? Who will our members be? What will agriculture look like, and how will we grow our food in the next century? All are questions we should ask but also all are questions I guarantee we do not have the answers to.

In the next couple of months, we will get a report from our Strategic Planning Committee, which was convened to take a stab at what KFB will look like in the future. Committee members represent a cross section of Kansas Farm Bureau and the diversity of agriculture it represents.

In true grassroots, Farm Bureau style, each individual Farm Bureau member had the opportunity to provide input about the future of our organization and what it should look like. Everything was scrutinized, and every path was explored. No rocks were left unturned. What are we doing right and what could be improved? The committee worked tirelessly, and many hours, much energy and thoughtful contemplation went into the final document.

I cannot wait to see this road map we will be given to start our journey into the next 100 years. More importantly, I am so proud to be part of an organization that has the foresight to plan while celebrating the past. That kind of forward thinking is what has made Farm Bureau the voice of agriculture and a place for everyone involved in the production of food and fiber.

I am sure the next 100 years will bring even more innovation to our industry. I am sure we cannot even begin to imagine what changes will happen. I am also equally sure that Kansas Farm Bureau will be able to adapt, change and continue to be a resource for Kansas farmers and ranchers.

So, this week, lets renew old friendships, celebrate our accomplishments and enjoy the journey of the past 100 years. While we are doing that, we will be looking at the road into the future knowing Kansas Farm Bureau will continue to lead the way and continue to be the most inclusive, general farm organization in Kansas with a place for all producers. Here is to 100 years of accomplishments and to the next 100 years of growth and success.

“Insight” is a weekly column published by Kansas Farm Bureau, the state’s largest farm organization whose mission is to strengthen agriculture and the lives of Kansans through advocacy, education and service.