We waited, and we waited. After months of wrangling and negotiations, we finally got a Farm Bill. We all breathed a sigh of relief as President Trump signed the bill. The President remarked on the certainty the bill was going to provide for farmers. Then at the end of the very same week, the government shut down. So now what?
Last week we talked about the impact facing producers who needed their Market Facilitation Program (MFP) payments. But these payments aren?t the only concern. Farmers now need to make selections over risk management programs. The ARC and PLC programs have had some changes in the new Farm Bill. American Farm Bureau?s Dale Moore explains.
However, with the shutdown, farmers cannot get into their local FSA offices to get information or to sign up. As Moore says, the clock is ticking. A small window just got smaller.
Moore says the USDA already has the challenge of implementing the new Farm Bill, but to not be able to even make the first steps is discouraging.
The only certainty farmers have is that their ?certainty? has a decidedly uncertain road in front of it.
