USDA Update – July 20, 2020

Eads USDA Service Center Staff

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER:

FSA 2020 ACREAGE REPORTING DATE: EXTENDED TO AUGUST 14
CFAP – Signup May 26 – August 28
LFP – Signup ends January 30, 2021
2020 COUNTY COMMITTEE NOMINATION PERIOD - DEADLINE AUGUST 1, 2020
2020 PLC YIELD UPDATE – Deadline September 30, 2020
WHIP+ signup - Begins March 23, 2020

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 TRANSISITION INCENTIVE PROGRAM

The Transition Incentives Program (TIP), administered by USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA), assists with the transition of expiring Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) land from an owner or operator to a beginning, veteran, or socially disadvantaged farmer or rancher to return land to production for sustainable grazing or crop production.

The 2018 Farm Bill authorizes $50 million for fiscal years 2019 through 2023 for TIP. The deadline to enroll into TIP is August 15^,2020 for contracts that will expire October 1, 2020. To enroll, CRP participants and the producer or entity the land will be transitioned must sign a CRP 1R before August 15 which will allow NRCS amble time to complete a conservation plan of operations with the TIP participants.

TIP enrollment is on a continuous basis until the total funds authorized for the program are exhausted. Beginning, veteran, and socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers and CRP participants may enroll in TIP two years before the scheduled date of CRP contract expiration or the $50 million statutory limit has been reached.For example, if a CRP contract is scheduled to expire on September 30, 2022, the land may be offered for enrollment in TIP from October 1, 2020, through September 30, 2022, or the $50 million statutory limit has been reached.

Owners or operators participating in TIP may receive up to two additional annual rental payments after their CRP contract expires provided the beginning, veteran, or socially disadvantaged farmer or rancher is not a family member.

To be eligible for TIP, an owner or operator must be a farmer or rancher on land enrolled in an expiring CRP contract.The owner or operator must agree to sell, or have a contract to sell, or agree to lease long-term (at least five years) the land enrolled in an expiring CRP contract to a beginning, veteran or socially disadvantaged farmer or rancher who is not a family member.

The owner or operator must agree to permit the beginning, veteran, or socially disadvantaged farmer or rancher to make conservation and land improvements according to an approved conservation plan during the last two years of the CRP contract.Beginning, veteran, or socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers participating in TIP may re-enroll otherwise eligible land under CRP’s continuous signup provisions including the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program.Beginning, veteran, or socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers must materially and substantially participate in the operation of the farm or ranch involved in CRP contract modification.Also, the beginning, veteran, or socially disadvantaged farmer or rancher may be eligible for enrollment in USDA’s Conservation Stewardship Program or the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, provided all eligibility requirements are met.

Beginning farmer or rancher means a person, or for entities has at least 50 percent interest in that entity, who:

Has not been a farm or ranch operator for more than 10 years.

Veteran farmer or rancher means a person, or for entities has at least 50 percent interest in that entity, who served in the Armed Forces and who has:

Obtained status as a veteran during the most recent 10-year period,

Operated a farm or ranch for no more than 10 years

Socially disadvantaged farmer or rancher means a person, or for entities has at least 50 percent interest in that entity, who is a member of a socially disadvantaged group whose members have been subjected to racial or ethnic prejudice because of their identity as members of a group without regard to their individual qualities. Gender is not included.

2020 ACREAGE REPORTING

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, FSA is waiving all late-filed fees until August 14, 2020. Producers who planted uninsured or uninsurable crops, be certain to get the acres and plant dates reported to FSA prior to August 14.

Prevented planting claims for insured crops should be reported to crop insurance agent. FSA will also require a completed CCC-576 for the prevented planting claim and a copy of the documentation to substanciate the claim that was supplied to the agent.

Planted wheat acres that failed and were released by crop insurance will need to be reported to FSA as failed and the operator will be required to complete a CCC-576 form and FSA will require a copy of the appraisail.

CRP EMERGENCY GRAZING

FSA has received authorization to allow emergency grazing on contracts enrolled into SAFE (State acres for Wildlife Enhancement) Lesser Prairie Chicken contracts. Previously, grazing has been prohibited on these contracts.

Reminder, producers wishing to graze these acres must complete all the required paperwork prior to placing livestock on the acres. All producers on the CRP contract must sign the required paperwork, the grazing producer also has paperwork to complete. Unauthorized grazing will be considered a violation of the contract and payment reductions will be assessed.

Currently, emergency grazing will expire on September 30.

PRIMARY NESTING SEASON

July 15 marked the end of the primary nesting season for CRP. Producers who need to complete a management activity on an active contract are urged to contact NRCS to determine the best practice for the acres.