# Billions in COVID-19 and Trade Relief for Farmers—How Was it Distributed? | U.S. GAO

> A GAO WatchBlog post reviews USDA's roughly $31 billion in COVID-19 assistance to farmers in 2021 and 2022, finding some payments went to ineligible recipients or for losses not experienced. It also looks at how USDA monitors trade-dispute aid and how oversight could improve.

- Date: 2022-10-04 · published 2022-10-04T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: report · region US · magnitude low
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/39113-billions-in-covid-19-and-trade-relief-for-farmers-how-was-it-distributed-u-s-gao
- Commodities: [Corn](https://feedsoft.ai/c/CORN.md), [Soybeans](https://feedsoft.ai/c/SOY.md), [Wheat (SRW)](https://feedsoft.ai/c/WHEAT.md)

## Why it matters

Government oversight findings on farm payments do not directly change feed supply or demand, so the price impact is minimal. It mainly signals tighter future scrutiny of farm aid programs.

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| CORN | 2019-09-30 | [Corn and Soybean Stocks Come In Below Trade Expectations \| Red River Farm Network](https://feedsoft.ai/events/57013-corn-and-soybean-stocks-come-in-below-trade-expectations-red-river-farm-network.md) | -0.9% | +1.1% |
| CORN | 2023-09-08 | [Farmers in Rio Grande do Sul Hoping for a Better 2023/24](https://feedsoft.ai/events/13626-farmers-in-rio-grande-do-sul-hoping-for-a-better-2023-24.md) | -1.3% | -5.3% |
| CORN | 2022-02-15 | [USDA unfairly distributed Trump’s trade war payments](https://feedsoft.ai/events/42694-usda-unfairly-distributed-trump-s-trade-war-payments.md) | +1.4% | +13.6% |
| CORN | 2021-09-07 | [U.S. Agriculture Sector Received an Estimated $35 Billion in COVID-19-Related Assistance in 2020 \| Economic Research Service](https://feedsoft.ai/events/45079-u-s-agriculture-sector-received-an-estimated-35-billion-in-covid-19-related.md) | -4.1% | -2.6% |
| CORN | 2019-08-13 | [U.S. farmers stung by tariffs now face a $3.5 billion corn loss](https://feedsoft.ai/events/11738-u-s-farmers-stung-by-tariffs-now-face-a-3-5-billion-corn-loss.md) | -3.3% | -8.2% |
| SOY | 2019-09-30 | [Corn and Soybean Stocks Come In Below Trade Expectations \| Red River Farm Network](https://feedsoft.ai/events/57013-corn-and-soybean-stocks-come-in-below-trade-expectations-red-river-farm-network.md) | +3.8% | +4.2% |
| SOY | 2023-09-08 | [Farmers in Rio Grande do Sul Hoping for a Better 2023/24](https://feedsoft.ai/events/13626-farmers-in-rio-grande-do-sul-hoping-for-a-better-2023-24.md) | -0.1% | -4.8% |
| SOY | 2022-02-15 | [USDA unfairly distributed Trump’s trade war payments](https://feedsoft.ai/events/42694-usda-unfairly-distributed-trump-s-trade-war-payments.md) | +4.1% | +5.7% |

## Sources

- gao.gov: https://www.gao.gov/blog/billions-covid-19-and-trade-relief-farmers-how-was-it-distributed

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Data from Feedsoft AI (https://feedsoft.ai/). For information only; not investment advice.