# USDA Market Facilitation Program: Information on Payments for 2019 | U.S. GAO

> The GAO reports that USDA's Farm Service Agency paid about $14.4 billion in 2019 Market Facilitation Program payments to roughly 644,000 farming operations in all 50 states and Puerto Rico. Payments averaged $22,312 per operation and ranged from $44 to $295,299 depending on county.

- Date: 2020-08-21 · published 2020-08-21T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: policy · region US · magnitude low
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/51602-usda-market-facilitation-program-information-on-payments-for-2019-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

Large ad-hoc payments cushion farm incomes and can keep acreage and output higher than market prices alone would justify, which is mildly bearish for feed grains and oilseeds over time. The direct effect on prices is limited because this covers past payments.

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| CORN | 2020-08-24 | [Don’t expect 2020 Market Facilitation Program payments](https://feedsoft.ai/events/51609-don-t-expect-2020-market-facilitation-program-payments.md) | +3.3% | +11.5% |
| CORN | 2019-11-15 | [USDA Issues Second Tranche of Market Facilitation Program](https://feedsoft.ai/events/56042-usda-issues-second-tranche-of-market-facilitation-program.md) | -0.7% | -2.8% |
| CORN | 2019-04-29 | [USDA Extends Deadline to May 17 for Producers to Certify 2018 Crop Production for Market Facilitation Program Payments \| Farm Service Agency](https://feedsoft.ai/events/59568-usda-extends-deadline-to-may-17-for-producers-to-certify-2018-crop-production.md) | +0.1% | +6.9% |
| CORN | 2020-10-09 | [Farmers in South Paid More From Market Facilitation Program](https://feedsoft.ai/events/50632-farmers-in-south-paid-more-from-market-facilitation-program.md) | +3.7% | +7.4% |
| CORN | 2018-09-01 | [Market Facilitation Program: Impacts and Initial Analysis](https://feedsoft.ai/events/63527-market-facilitation-program-impacts-and-initial-analysis.md) | +0.9% | +1.1% |
| SOY | 2020-08-24 | [Don’t expect 2020 Market Facilitation Program payments](https://feedsoft.ai/events/51609-don-t-expect-2020-market-facilitation-program-payments.md) | +5.5% | +13.5% |
| SOY | 2019-11-15 | [USDA Issues Second Tranche of Market Facilitation Program](https://feedsoft.ai/events/56042-usda-issues-second-tranche-of-market-facilitation-program.md) | +0.1% | +0.8% |
| SOY | 2019-04-29 | [USDA Extends Deadline to May 17 for Producers to Certify 2018 Crop Production for Market Facilitation Program Payments \| Farm Service Agency](https://feedsoft.ai/events/59568-usda-extends-deadline-to-may-17-for-producers-to-certify-2018-crop-production.md) | -2.8% | -2.8% |

## Sources

- gao.gov: https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-20-700r

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