More Farm Program Funds Needed
After securing an additional $1.5 billion to fund the WHIP+ and the Quality Loss Adjustment programs in 2020, North Dakota Senator John Hoeven says the Farm Service Agency needs more money. Hoeven recently met with Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.
“The secretary didn’t commit to saying we’ll get the money, but he did commit to working with us. It’s frustrating because we already addressed this once and we need to keep it moving,” said Hoeven.
FSA needs anywhere from $300 million to another $1.5 billion, according to Hoeven. The remaining half of the 2019 WHIP+ program payments could be at risk. To secure more funds, options include the appropriations process or using other sources at the USDA.
