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U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue reassured farmers recently that the third round of payments in the 2019 Market Facilitation Program (MFP) is coming.

“It’s imminent,” he said of the payment, “although you can define that how you want to in Washington, D.C.”

Perdue said this third tranche of a $16 billion aid package announced will be the last farmers should expect, because success on the trade front should restore farmer incomes in 2020.

Perdue spoke at the annual American Farm Bureau Federation convention last week in Austin.

“We know 2019’s been a pretty tough year,” he told producers. “Farm disasters, unfair trade retaliation, low prices—affected every farm in America. But you kept on keeping on and you persevered.

“In agriculture, we like to grow things and we would rather have trade than aid,” he continued, citing a series of recent administration breakthroughs on trade. “So, let’s sell stuff,” he said. “Our farmers are going to demonstrate to the world that we can grow a safe, healthy product the Chinese will love.”

Sources: Farm Progress, Reuters