On Thursday, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a $16 billion aid package to help Iowa farmers who are struggling as a result of the ongoing trade war. Gov. Kim Reynolds says this will help them recoup some of their losses. “However,” she adds, “in the long term, farmers need trade and not just aid. We have some of the most productive farmers in the world and they will always win when given unrestricted access to markets. I appreciate President Trump for his efforts to secure critical aid for Iowa farmers while working to resolve the ongoing trade dispute,” says Reynolds. Three programs were introduced to assist farmers: the Market Facilitation Program, which will provide direct payments to producers; the Food Purchase and Distribution Program which will purchase surplus commodities affected by trade retaliation; and the Agriculture Trade Promotion Program, will assist in developing new export markets on behalf of producers.
