DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) - On Dec. 8, President Donald Trump announced US farmers would have access to $12 billion in one-time bridge payments.
Eleven billion of that will be used for row crop farmers who produce barley, corn, oats, rice, soybeans, wheat and other products.
The funding is intended to ease the burden on farmers from trade market disruptions and increased production costs, according to a USDA statement.
"The aid is welcomed by farmers, because it is helping make up for part of their shortfall in income that they're seeing," said Doug Gucker, a U of I extension educator in commercial agriculture and small farms. "It will just merely please their lenders is what it's going to do. It's going to ensure that they get to probably farm another year."
Macon County corn and soybean farmer Paul Butler agrees. He says farming seems to get more and more difficult each year, and it's been a struggle to be profitable. He worries the funding will only help short term.
"I'd much rather have a market than this bandaid," Butler said. "Honestly, it is a relief because things are so tight. It will get us through until next year or at least until early in the year. But I feel like unless something fundamentally changes, we're going to be back in the same boat next year."
IL Rep. Nikki Budzinski clarified that farmers earning less than $900,000 on their planted land will be eligible for direct payments, but they have to submit their paperwork to the USDA by Dec. 19.
Farmers will know by Feb. 28 if they are receiving payments. The maximum amount per farmer is $150,000.
"There was a 20% increase in farm bankruptcies during Trump's first term in office," Budzinski said. "That is going to be a very low number when you look at what he's doing this term, so I am very concerned. I'm glad these direct payments are going to be going out to our growers because they need them, but they need a rational farm and agriculture policy that supports them in this country."
Budzinski said she's heard from farmers across Central Illinois who are having to switch careers due to high input prices. Some are comparing the current market to a significant farm crisis in the 1980s.
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