U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today announced the addition of shelled almonds and fresh sweet cherries to the trade mitigation package aimed at assisting farmers suffering from damage due to unjustified trade retaliation by foreign nations. 

Starting Monday (Sept. 24), producers of shelled almonds and fresh sweet cherries may apply for Market Facilitation Program (MFP) payments at their local Farm Service Agency (FSA) office.

The sign-up period for MFP for other eligible commodities is now open and runs through Jan. 15, 2019, with information and instructions provided at www.farmers.gov/mfp. Eligible producers should apply after harvest is complete, as payments will only be issued once production is reported.

A payment will be issued on 50 percent of the producer’s total production, multiplied by the MFP rate for a specific commodity. A second payment period, if warranted, will be determined by the USDA.

The initial MFP payment rates starting Sept. 24:

• Shelled Almonds – $0.03 per pound
• Fresh Sweet Cherries – $0.16 per pound

MFP payments are capped per person or legal entity at a combined $125,000 for shelled almonds and fresh sweet cherries.

For more information, read the entire USDA press release here: https://www.usda.gov/media/press-releases/2018/09/21/usda-adds-shelled-almonds-and-fresh-sweet-cherry-market