Farm Service Agency

FACT SHEET

September 2018

Market Facilitation Program (MFP)

Overview

The Market Facilitation Program (MFP) provides direct 

payments to help corn, cotton, sorghum, soybean, 

wheat, dairy, hog, shelled almonds and fresh sweet 

cherries producers who have been directly impacted 

by illegal retaliatory tariffs, resulting in the loss of 

traditional exports. The MFP is established under 

the statutory authority of the Commodity Credit 

Corporation (CCC) Charter Act and is under the 

administration of the U.S. Department of Agriculture 

(USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA). The Charter Act 

authorizes CCC to assist in the expansion of domestic 

markets or development of new and additional markets 

and uses.

Producers may apply for MFP through January 15, 

2019. 

How to File an Application

MFP applications are available online at www.

farmers.gov/MFP. Applications can be completed at 

a local FSA office or submitted electronically either by 

scanning, emailing, or faxing.

Payments

A payment will be issued on the first 50 percent of the 

producer’s total production of the commodity. On or 

about December 3, 2018, CCC will announce a second 

payment rate, if applicable, that will apply to the 

remaining 50 percent of the producer’s production.

An MFP payment, based on at either the initial or 

second payment rate, will be made after a producer 

harvests 100 percent of the crop and certifies the 

amount of production.

The initial MFP rates are as follows:

• Cotton $0.06 per pound

• Corn $0.01 per bushel

• Dairy $0.12 per cwt. 

• Hogs $8.00 per head***

• Sorghum $0.86 per bushel

• Soybeans $1.65 per bushel

• Wheat $0.14 per bushel

Starting September 24, the initial MFP payment rates 

(signup Sept 24 – Jan 15):

• Shelled Almonds - $0.03 per pound

• Fresh Sweet Cherries - $0.16 per pound

*** UPDATED: The payment for hog operations was originally based off the total number of head of live hogs on August 1, 2018. 

Producers may now choose any date between July 15 to August 15, 2018 that correctly reflects their actual operation.

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MARKET FACILITATION PROGRAM (MFP) - SEPTEMBER 2018

Calculation

The MFP payment equals 2018 total production of 

the producer times 50 percent times the MFP rate. For 

example, a producer who harvested 100,000 bushels of 

wheat would receive an initial MFP payment totaling 

$7,000 (100,000 bushels times 50 percent times $0.14 

per bushel). A second payment, if available, may be 

issued using a different MFP rate.

Crops

If requested, a producer must provide supporting 

documentation as determined by CCC for the amount 

of production. The documentation must be verifiable or 

reliable records that substantiate the reported amounts. 

Examples of reliable production records include 

evidence provided by the participant that is used to 

substantiate the amount of production reported when 

verifiable records are not available, including copies 

of receipts, ledgers of income, income statements 

of deposit slips, register tapes, invoices for custom 

harvesting, and records to verify production costs, 

contemporaneous measurements, truck scale tickets, 

or contemporaneous diaries that are determined 

acceptable by the FSA county committee.

Producers requesting a MFP payment must have a 

crop acreage report on file with FSA for MFP crop 

commodities. 

To be eligible for a MFP payment, each corn, upland 

cotton, sorghum, soybean and wheat producer is 

required to be a person or legal entity who was actively 

engaged in farming in 2018.

Dairy and Hog Production

The payment for dairy production is based on the 

historical production reported for the Margin Protection 

Program for Dairy (MPP-Dairy). For existing dairy 

operations, the production history is established using 

the highest annual milk production marketed during 

the full calendar years of 2011, 2012, and 2013. Dairy 

operations are also required to have been in operation 

on June 1, 2018. 

Payment for hog operations will be based on the total 

number of head of live hogs on the preferred date 

August 1, 2018; however, for the few producers for 

whom that date is not representative of the number 

of head of hogs that they own, those producers may 

choose any day to from July 15 through August 15, 

2018, as the date for which the ownership is reported. 

Production records for hogs may include, but are not 

limited to, breeding records, inventory records, sales 

receipts, rendering receipts, or veterinary records.

Limitations

MFP payments are capped per person or legal entity as 

follows:

• A combined $125,000 for eligible crop 

commodities

• A combined $125,000 for dairy production and 

hogs. 

• A combined $125,000 for fresh sweet cherries 

and shelled almonds.

MFP payments do not count against other 2014 Farm 

Bill payment limitations.

Eligibility

A producer must be in compliance with highly erodible 

land conservation and wetland conservation provisions, 

commonly referred to as the conservation compliance 

provisions. Other eligibility requirements also apply

A producer’s average adjusted gross income may not 

exceed $900,000.

For More Information

This fact sheet is provided for informational purposes; 

other restrictions may apply. For more information 

about the MFP program, visit www.farmers.gov/

MFP or contact your local FSA office. To find your 

local FSA office, visit www.farmers.gov.

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.