By Eads USDA Service Center Staff

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER:

• September 30^th - CRP haying deadline, hay must be removed by November 13^th.
• CRP Routine Grazing Period -   October 1 – November 30^th
• 2^nd Tuesday each month - Farm Loan personnel in Kiowa County FSA Office. 
• CRP GRASSLANDS SIGNUP - No date announced for next ranking period.
• CERTIFICATION 2017 fall crops - November 15^th – wheat, native grass, triticale, alfalfa crop deadline.
• NAP deadline -  December 1^st, 2016 - Purchase 2017 policy for Alfalfa, Grass, Mixed Forage

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.

Loan Deficiency Payments

The LDP rates for the week stayed steady.  The posted county price for grain sorghum saw an 11 cent drop for the week.  Still a large gap between the posted county price and the effective LDP rate.  It’s is our hope that prices stay high and that LDP’s don’t trigger. 

LDP rates for the previous week.

• Note grain sorghum is computed in hundredweight.

The website to check daily LDP rates is as follows:

 http://www.fsa.usda.gov/programs-and-services/price-support/ldp-rates/index

2015 ARC-PLC Payments

Final 2015 Price Loss Coverage payment rates for all crops with the exception of sunflowers have been announced.  Payment rates are as follows: 

• Corn - .09 – bu
• Grain Sorghum - .64 bu.
• Wheat - $.61 – bu
• Barley - zero
• Oats - .28-  bu

2015 ARC-PLC payments are scheduled to be issued the first week in October.  When the office has received notification from National Office that payments can be issued; that will be our priority. 

2015 ARC- County actual yields have not been published; therefore for producers who elected ARC-CO for a commodity; we are still unsure those payments will trigger.  Be reminded; ARC county payments trigger when the ARC actual revenue for the year is below the guarantee.  Our county yields that determine the guarantee are not high yields; therefore an average actual county yield for the year couldn’t determine the actual revenue to be higher.  When the ARC-CO yields become available; they will be shared.

Be reminded; the 2015 ARC-PLC payments will be reduced by 6.8% for the sequestration rate. 

CRP Routine Grazing

The first grazing CRP routine period of the fiscal year is now available for producers who wish to graze CRP for contract management.  This 60 day period is October 1^st – November 30^th.  A payment reduction applies which is 25% of the annual rental rate; unless livestock owned by a beginning farmer and rancher grazes the CRP then the reduction is zero.  Payment reductions can be either paid in advance or will the CRP annual rental payment will be reduced in October 2017. 

Producers MUST have the proper paperwork and authorizations in place PRIOR to placing cattle on the CRP.   There must be a grazing plan approved through NRCS and the CRP participants must agree to the terms and conditions to their CRP contract at the FSA office.  Failure to complete these items can place the CRP contract in jeopardy of non-compliance. 

CRP HAYING

Producers who had authorization to hay CRP must have had the swathing and baling completed by Friday, September 30^th.  The bales must be removed from the field by November 13^th.  Haying CRP will not be authorized until July 16^th, 2017; after the primary nesting season.  Again authorization to hay CRP must be received PRIOR to any swathing taking place. 

NAP DEADLINE

December 1^st, 2016 is the 2017 Non Insured Assistance Program sales closing date for alfalfa, grass and mixed forage.  Producers with 2016 policies should have received their continuous coverage letter.  The buy-up option is not available for native grass; therefore the coverage is 50%. 

NOTICE OF LOSS

Producers with NAP coverage for 2016 crops (including grass) must submit a notice of loss within 15 calendar days from the occurrence.  Producers who have a policy and believe they have suffered a 50% loss wish to file a Notice of Loss for grass need to do so prior to October 15^th. 

USDA SERVICE CENTER CONTACT INFORMATION

Telephone 719-438-5851 FSA (Ext 2), NRCS (Ext 3). FSA Fax number: fax2mail 844-332-7501

E-mail individuals firstname.lastname@co.usda.gov (Example firstname.lastname@co.usda.gov, dawna.weirich, charla.ferris, hallie.barlow, marvin.watson, marlin.miller,

KIOWA COUNTY FARM LOAN CONTACT INFO

Telephone 719-336-3437 (ext2) Natalie Bond; natalie.bond@co.usda.gov; Mary Rhoades, mary.rhoades@co.usda.gov

SERVICE CENTER OFFICE HOURS: 

Monday through Friday - 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.  By appointment only on Friday.

FSA INFORMATION

For information on programs visit our website located at www.fsa.usda.gov or like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter.