(Radio Iowa) — Iowa farmers can expect more details on the federal government’s $12 billion trade relief package by the end of the month. That’s the word from USDA Trade Under Secretary Ted McKinney, who says farmers will need to sign up for the program and compensation will be based on 2018 yield data. “We hope and are intending to make that easy, so they can go online and get the form,” McKinney said. “A lot of it is already stored at the Farm Service Agency location. We’re going to encourage them to get that in very quickly.”

McKinney said while most farmers would prefer markets, relief from retaliatory tariffs is necessary as they continue to face a down farm economy. “The mitigation strategy isn’t something anybody wanted, but when other countries didn’t like our desire to straighten out and fix these inadequacies that get at free, fair, and reciprocal trade, we undertook the program with a lot of support,” McKinney said. ‘

According to McKinney, farmers should be able to apply for the program beginning around September 4. He made his comments in a meeting with reporters at the Indiana State Fair. (NOTE: Indiana *is* correct)