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Scott says “top up” payments won’t make farmers whole

A Missouri farmer with prevent plant acreage says the “top up” payments announced by USDA won’t make a big difference. Mark Scott farms near St. Louis and is president of the Missouri Corn Growers Association.

“It, by no means, makes anybody whole that’s paying cash rent or had all their inputs down and everything. So, if you had your fertilizer down and you had to pay cash rent, you’re still going to have an out-of-pocket loss.”

Scott tells Brownfield the extra 15% won’t be a game changer, “For my crop insurance, the prevent plant payment is 55% of the guarantee. So, whatever your guarantee was per acre the prevent plant only pays 55% of that.”

What crops Scott was able to plant have not yet been harvested because it was so late. He hopes to start harvesting corn next week but is worried about wet weather.