IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER:

• CROP CERTIFICATION DEADLINE - July 15, 2022
• NRCS DEADLINE FOR CRP SU#58 CONSERVATION PLAN - July 29th
• EMERGENCY RELIEF PROGRAM – Phase 1 – Deadline to submit application July 22, 2022 
• TIP – Transition Incentive Program – DEADLINE TO SUBMIT CRP 1-R - AUGUST 5, 2022.

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. 

THE USDA SERVICE CENTER HAS A DROP BOX AVAILABLE ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE BUILDING. 

With the moisture received last week; there is potential for changes to the drought monitor for this coming week.  If the eastern portion of the county is removed from a D2 drought status and moved to a D1, the county will no longer be eligible for Emergency grazing of CRP acreage.  The Drought Monitor is published on every Thursday.  Producers who are currently grazing CRP will be allowed to complete their grazing plans.  If the county is no longer eligible for Emergency grazing the grazing producer and the CRP producer will both be notified.  

NATIVE GRASS ACREAGE REPORTING

The FSA Office received clarification regarding acreage reporting for native grass for grazing and grasslands CRP.   In the past, the office considered risk and control of the land with the grassland CRP producer, therefore if the land was rented to a producer who was not a part of the CRP grassland contract, the office would not reflect the grazing producer on the acreage report, which affected that producers LFP and NAP applications.  

Colorado FSA has been advised that grassland CRP is a working lands program, control and risk in the grassland CRP contract and control and risk in the grazing rights are separate and distinct and two producers may independently certify the same land when one is certifying for grassland CRP, and another is certifying for grazing rights of the land.

It will be the responsibility of the producers to supply the office with a current grazing lease for the certification to be amended.  The deadline to file an acreage report for both grassland CRP and grass for intended use for grazing is July 15th annually.  

NRCS CONSERVATION PLANS – SIGNUP 58 

The Eads NRCS office will begin contacting producers with accepted CRP Signup #58 offers to obtain the signatures on the Conservation Plan.   NRCS is under a very tight deadline, currently the signed documents are due to FSA on July 29^th and there are many contracts in Kiowa County to obtain signatures.  

It's important for producers to pay special attention to incoming phone calls or emails from any of the staff listed in the Service Center contact portion located at the end of the article. Failure to sign the conservation plan will void the offer.

EMERGENCY RELIEF PROGRAM - ERP  

Producers who have not returned the 2020 and/or 2021 FSA-520 forms have until Friday, July 22, 2022 to do so.  The forms were mailed to producers who received a 2020 and/or 2021 crop insurance indemnity.  The deadline for phase 1 applications is July 22, 2022; currently FSA has no authority to accept late-filed applications.