USDA Update – January 28, 2020
IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER:
- 2019 ARCPLC enrollment - Deadline March 15 - CALL AND MAKE YOUR APPOINTMENT TODAY!
- 2020 ARCPLC enrollment – Deadline June 30
- NAP Application for Coverage - Spring seeded crops - Deadline March 16, 2020
- CRP General Signup #54 - Deadline February 28, 2020
- Farm Loan personnel in Eads Office – 2nd 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.
NEW EMPLOYEES
The FSA and NRCS both have a couple of new faces in the offices.
Steven Schmidt or Smitty as he likes to be called started with NRCS late last year. After months of no daily presence on the north side of the office, it’s good to see the lights on again. Smitty is currently busy checking the CRP fields and is learning all the back roads in Kiowa County.
Jo Liebl has started as a temporary program technician for FSA. She is beginning her second week on the job and she is digging right in and is already a great asset to the office.
Welcome to FPAC Smitty and Jo!
THIRD 2019 MFP PAYMENT
The FSA Office has received no official news regarding when FSA will be issuing the third and final payment for 2019 Marketing Facilitation Program or MFP. The Secretary of Agriculture and President Trump did make statements last week that the payment will be issued, however a date has not been released. When the announcement is issued, the process to get those payments to the producers is a priority.
SUCCESSION TO CRP OFFERS
Producers with expiring CRP contracts and have the land listed for sale – need to be aware of the following FSA policy.
Succession – in – interest rights DO NOT apply to CRP offers to participate, except for:
- Immediate family members of the producer that submitted the offer.
- A person, or entity taking title to the land offered when the producer that submitted the offer dies.
There is a difference between an ‘offer’ and an ‘approved contract’. Current CRP owners and potential buyers need to contact their local FSA Office for more information concerning expiring contracts in an offer status.
REQUESTING CRP FIELD INSPECTION
The office has notified all producers with expiring CRP contracts, that did not attend the CRP meeting in Eads and supplied them with their packet through the mail and also a letter stating the following.
Friday, February 7, is the deadline for producers to request NRCS employees to complete a field inspection to assist producers in determining the number of existing grasses and forbs present on the field. It will take NRCS a considerable amount of time to complete the field inspections that have already been requested and NRCS has other programs that require attention. Producers wishing NRCS to complete an inspection, please contact the office.
The office staff is currently accepting appointments for CRP offers. We urge producers to call or email the staff to schedule the appointment, including email or fax appointments as those will also need to be accounted for in time management. If you have requested a field inspection on the CRP, the office will contact you when that has been completed and it will be the producer’s responsibility to then determine how to offer the existing stand of CRP and schedule an appointment. Producers need to be checking their email regularly – as much of the information is being emailed.
Software is currently not working correctly to compute offers located within the SAFE Lesser Prairie Chicken area, currently the office has those offers on hold. Once software is working correctly, the staff will be in contact with the producer.
EMERGENCY HAYING AND GRAZING
The 2018 Farm Bill authorizes the use of CRP for emergency haying and grazing based on the severity of the drought using the US Drought Monitor. Counties designated as D2 or higher is eligible for emergency haying and grazing. The haying and grazing must be completed prior to primary nesting season which begins March 15th. The primary nesting season ends July 15th and if there are counties eligible for emergency haying and grazing, FSA offices will be notified accordingly.
Currently, emergency haying and grazing is available in the following counties:
Alamosa, Archuleta, Baca, Conejos, Costilla, Custer, Delta, Delores, Eagles, Garfield, Gunnison, Hinsdale, Huerfano,LaPlata, Las Animas, Mesa, Mineral, Montezuma, Montrose, Ouray, Pitkin, Rio Blanco, Rio Grande, Saguache, San Juan and San Miguel.
Producers in these counties wishing to hay or graze CRP must contact the FSA office for said county.
NAP APPLICATION FOR COVERAGE DEADLINE
NAP provides financial assistance to producers of commercial crops for which crop insurance coverage through Risk Management Agency (RMA) is not available in order to protect against natural disasters that result in lower yields or crop losses or prevent crop planting. The deadline to purchase coverage for spring seeded crops; such as common millet and/or sorghum forage crops in Kiowa County is March 15th.
NAP Buy-Up Coverage Option
The 2018 Farm Bill reinstates higher levels of coverage, from 50 to 65 percent of expected production in 5 percent increments, at 100 percent of the average market price. Producers of organics and crops marketed directly to consumers also may exercise the “buy-up” option to obtain NAP coverage of 100 percent of the average market price at the coverage levels of between 50 and 65 percent of expected production. NAP basic coverage is available at 55 percent of the average market price for crop losses that exceed 50 percent of expected production.
Buy-up coverage is not available for crops intended for grazing.
NAP Service Fees
For all coverage levels, the new NAP service fee is the lesser of $325 per crop or $825 per producer per county, not to exceed a total of $1,950 for a producer with farming interests in multiple counties. These amounts reflect a $75 service fee increase for crop, county or multi-county coverage. The fee increases apply to obtaining NAP coverage on crops on or after April 8, 2019.
NAP Enhancements for Qualified Military Veterans
The 2018 Farm Bill NAP amendments specify that qualified veteran farmers or ranchers are now eligible for a service fee waiver and premium reduction, if the NAP applicant meets certain eligibility criteria.
Beginning, limited resource and targeted underserved farmers or ranchers remain eligible for a waiver of NAP service fees and premium reduction when they file form CCC-860, “Socially Disadvantaged, Limited Resource and Beginning Farmer or Rancher Certification.”
For NAP application, eligibility and related program information, visit www.fsa.usda.gov/nap or contact your local USDA Service Center. To locate your local FSA office, visit www.farmers.gov.
