IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER:

• 2020- ARCPLC enrollment - Deadline June 30, 2020  
• 2020 PLC YIELD UPDATE - September 30, 2020
• WHIP+ signup - Begins March 23, 2020 
• CRP Grasslands Signup - signup March 16 - May 15 - $6.00 an acre in Kiowa

Disclaimer:  Information in this UPDATE is pertinent to Kiowa County FSA only.  Producers reading this and that do not have FSA interest in Kiowa County are advised to contact their local FSA Office. 

COVID-19 USDA GUIDANCE

There is no public access allowed into the Service Center at this time.  Customers can call 719-438-5851 and schedule a phone appointment or can call with questions.  The staff is working and will continue to provide customer service.  Customers can use email, fax and phones to contact the office and/or employees.   Contact information is provided below.

CRP SIGNUP 54 RESULTS

USDA announced CRP results from General Signup #54 last week.  Accepted or rejected letters were mailed out for Kiowa County producers late last week and should be landing in mailboxes soon.  LETTERS WERE MAILED OUT TO CONTACT PERSON FOR THE OFFER.  Offers with multiple participants will need to contact the operator or the contact person listed on the offer for results of the offer. 

ACCEPTED OFFERS

Producer has 30 days from March 31 to notify the FSA office if they wish to continue with the offer, sooner the better.  If the FSA office does not receive notification from a producer on the offer beginning May 2 - the offer will be determined rejected.  Producers can contact FSA by phone, email or fax and producers with email addresses will receive a receipt for service notification from FSA.  Once FSA receives that notification, NRCS will begin work on the CPO or Conservation Plan of Operation for the offer.  Producers will be notified by NRCS once the CPO is ready for review and signature.  Upon completion of the CPO, signatures obtained on all forms and eligibility forms completed the offer will be approved by the FSA County Committee no later than September 30, 2020.  Once approved, the offer becomes an approved contract.  Producers can withdraw an offer at any point, prior to approval of the offer, without FSA assessing liquidated damages.  FSA will assess liquidated damages for any reason to an approved CRP contract.  

REJECTED OFFERS

Producers with rejected offers on expiring CRP contracts, need to remember the expiring contract will receive the final payment in October 2020.  They must not do any activity to the land without FSA and NRCS approval prior to October.  Do not jeopardize the compliance of the existing contract without FSA and NRCS prior approval.  

Options for the land -  

After October 1, 2020 land can be grazed without FSA and NRCS prior approval.  Grazing prior to contract expiration must be approved by FSA and NRCS. 

FSA is currently accepting offers for CRP Grasslands, there was an FSA fact sheet enclosed in the envelope with the letter explaining the program.  Kiowa county CRP grassland rate is $6.00 per acre. 

If the CRP land is maintained as enrolled into CRP, the land could be offered in the next General CRP signup, which will most likely be in December 2020.

Producers wanting to return the land to cultivated cropland must obtain a Conservation Plan from NRCS.  

TIP or Transition Incentive Program is available for enrollment until August 15, 2020.  Owners of CRP, who transition CRP land for a minimum lease period of 5 years to a beginning farmer, veteran or socially disadvantage farmer or rancher (who is not related to the CRP participants) can earn an additional 2 years of CRP payments.  For more information regarding TIP contact the FSA office.  The land can either remain in grass or be returned to cultivated cropland. 

If the land has base acres that are currently reserved with a CCC-505, those acres will be restored October 1 for 2021 ARCPLC enrollment.  

EXTENSION OF MARKETING ASSISTANCE LOANS

The CARES Act of 2020 allows producers with existing marketing assistance loans to extend loan maturity to 12 months.  Normally, marketing assistance loans mature at 9 months after disbursement.  Producers in Kiowa with existing loans were issued a letter late last week, making the option available.  

New crop loans for crop year 2019 and 2020 are also eligible for the 12-month loan, if the loan is requested prior to September 30, 2020.  The grain must be in good condition and producer must still have beneficial interest in the grain - which translates to title and control.  

Warehouse loans will be required to pay additional storage to the warehouse beyond the 9 months.