Since the tariff and trade conflicts that began in 2018, through the pandemic relief assistance efforts in 2020, American farmers have received an unusual amount of ad hoc and supplemental or emergency assistance (see e.g., farmdoc daily, April 18, 2018; July 31, 2018; August 16, 2018; August 28, 2018; May 22, 2020; July 10, 2020; September 3, 2020; June 6, 2022; April 5, 2023). From 2018 to 2023, USDA reports a total of $77.8 billion in ad hoc and supplemental assistance to farmers, along with another $14.5 billion in non-USDA pandemic assistance (see, USDA-ERS, September 5, 2024). On October 25, 2024, Representative Trent Kelly (R-MS) introduced legislation to provide a new round of ad hoc economic assistance payments to farmers of selected crops for 2024 (H.R. 10045; see also, Kramer, October 22, 2024; ProAg.com, October 23, 2024). This article reviews the latest proposal and raises further questions about its implications (see e.g., farmdoc daily, July 29, 2020; October 30, 2024).
