IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER:

• CRP General Signup #54 - Deadline February 28, 2020
• 2019 - ARCPLC enrollment - Begins October - Deadline March 16
• 2020- ARCPLC enrollment - Deadline June 30, 2020  
• NAP DEADLINE - Application for coverage for spring seeded crops - Monday, March 16

• Farm Loan personnel in Eads Office – 2^nd Tuesday every month

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. 

CRP GENERAL SIGNUP 

We’re in the last week of General CRP signup #54.  Producers with expiring contracts who have not contacted the FSA office with your intentions, we will be reaching out to you this week.  For the most part, producers have been very responsive and have worked with the office relaying their intentions.  

For the last time, to reiterate a few things regarding producers’ options with expiring 2020 CRP contracts. 

• Producers with expiring contract(s) will receive the last payment on the expiring contract(s) in October 2020.  If the new offer is accepted and producers continue on with the process of completing a Conservation Plan with NRCS and the CRP-1 contract is approved - the contract start date will be October 1, 2020. 
• Producers with expiring State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement (SAFE) have the option for an additional 20 EBI points under the N1b factor.    To accept the 20 additional N1b points, producers agree to a wildlife conservation plan, which will be more restrictive than a general conservation plan.   Producers also have the option to offer the land for longer than a 10 year contract, producers can choose up to a 15 year contract or any year between a 10 and 15 year contract.  
• All or a portion of the acreage may be eligible for enrollment in a CRP grasslands contract.  CRP grasslands is working CRP grassland program.  Producers who meet eligibility can enroll land for a 10 – 15 contract that would be effective on October 1, 2020.  The sign-up period for CRP grasslands is tentatively scheduled for March 16 through May 15, 2020.  Contracts that are accepted will be effective October 1, 2020.   The 2020 Grassland rates per acre for the area are: 
  • Kiowa and Lincoln - $6.00 
  • Cheyenne - $7.00 
  • Prowers - $5.00 
  • Bent and Crowley - $4.00 
• Transition Incentives Program or better known as TIP is also available.  TIP can provide two additional annual rental payment after the contract expires on the condition that the CRP producer agree to sell or lease (minimum 5 years) to a beginning or veteran farmer or rancher or a member of a socially disadvantaged group (gender not eligible).  The CRP producer and the new producer cannot be family members.  It is not required that the land be returned to actively farming, the new landowners or renters are required to obtain a grazing or farming conservation plan with NRCS.  The signup for TIP ends for these expiring contracts on August 21, 2020. *  See article below regarding TIP website .
• Last choice is to do nothing, allow the contract to expire.  Producers who are going to actively begin farming the land, we ask that you please notify the county office of your intentions.  You will also be required to obtain a conservation plan with NRCS.  The earliest producers can begin activities on the land is after the primary nesting season which is July 16, 2020 with a prorates payment reduction for the 2020 annual rental payment.  

TIP USDA WEBSITE 

Kiowa County has many non-resident owners, and there are a number of those owners who own CRP.  During this CRP signup, there has been interest in the TIP program.  There is just one problem, most non-resident owners are not familiar with local Beginning Farmers and Ranchers or other producers who would qualify to transition the CRP land.  This past week, the office was notified of a website that will help with that problem.   On the following website, both parties can register https://www.fsa.usda.gov/TipNetSPA/app/form.

The website has not been updated for the 2018 Farm Bill changes.  

• Producers with CRP land interested in the TIP program do not have be retiring or retired.  The only requirement is that the producers are in control of the CRP land. 

This would have been great information for FSA offices to have 60 days ago, but like I said we were just notified of the existence of the website.   We encourage all interested parties to register on the website.   

ARC-PLC DECISION

Producers who have not made the 2019 – 2020 ARC or PLC decision for their farms, below is some information that may assist you in making that decision.  

• Deadline for 2019 ARCPLC enrollment is March 16, 2020.   
• Enrollment for 2020 ARCPLC deadline is June 30, 2020.  

Producers will elect a program for 2019 which will roll into 2020.  Beginning in 2021 producers can make an election every year through 2023.  

2019 PLC

2019 current projected PLC rates - these rates are national rates and are not determined county to county.  The rates in are as of February 11^th and updated monthly. 

2019 ARC-CO

The table below reflects the sum of dividing the projecting marketing year average into the 2019 guarantee.  The last column on the right reflects the projected actual yield.  The actual yield would need to be less than shown to trigger a payment.  The actual yield for the year will not be available to county offices until after October 1, 2020.