USDA Update - April 21, 2018

Eads USDA Service Center Staff

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER:

· PRIMARY NESTING SEASON - March 15^th- July 15 - NO CRP Contract Management ALLOWED

· CRP – Initial and re-seeding of permanent cover - Deadline April 30^th

· FARM LOAN Personnel in Kiowa County Service Center – Tuesday, May 8^th

· FSA County Committee Meeting – TBA

CRP Continuous Signup - CRP Grassland OFFERS ONLY. Producers interested are urged to contact FSA Office. NOW!!- File form CCC-633 EZ page 1 with FSA before losing beneficial interest to maintain Loan Deficiency Payment (LDP) eligibility. (To request payments, producers need to submit page 2 of the CCC-633EZ)

· 2018 ARCPLC Enrollment deadline - August 1, 2018

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.

WINDY WEEK

It was an active week in SE Colorado and truly the entire state with the relenting winds and the fires in all directions of Kiowa County on Tuesday evening. Thursday, the 19^ththe wind blew all day and night, normally the wind will subside in evening, but that was not the case. Friday brought some much-needed moisture to the area.

FSA DISASTER PROGRAMS

A chart is included with the UPDATE this week (see larger version below this article), which gives a breakdown of various Disaster Assistance Programs, the Disaster Programs noted are relevant only to Kiowa County. The chart breaks down the program and for what natural disaster event producers may have experienced and the assistance available. Producers would apply for the programs at their Local FSA Office with the Farm Programs staff, with the exception of the ‘Emergency Loan Program’ as Farm Loan staff would assist in those applications.

Below is a brief overview of each program, any questions please contact your local FSA Office. It is the producer’s responsibility to meet the eligibility requirements, including timely filing Notices of Loss, acreage reporting and providing verifiable livestock records, etc. Payment limitations also apply, for example payments are limited to $125,000 per program year for LFP, LIP and ELAP, and multiple benefits restrictions also apply.

ECP- A cost share program, subject to availability of funds, to eligible producers and ranchers who need assistance to rehabilitate farmland damaged by natural disasters with the exception of freeze. County Committees determine to apply for State ECP funds and establish a signup period. Requests for assistance can be accepted prior to the county receiving approval and funding; however, restrictions apply for eligibility.

ELAP - This program covers losses that are not covered by LFP or the LIP program. Producers must provide a Notice of Loss within 30 calendar days from when the loss is apparent. The ELAP program has a set amount of funding, the payment amount may be factored when the predetermined gross total amount of ELAP payments for a program year exceeds the total funding amount.

EM - Contact your local FSA Office for Farm Loan personnel in your area.

LFP - Counties offices become eligible according to drought intensity recorded on the U.S. Drought Monitor. Compensates eligible producers for grazing losses due to drought. Federally managed lands impacted by fire are also eligible.

LIP - Compensates producers for livestock deaths in excess of normal mortality during an abnormal weather event. Producers must provide verifiable and reliable proof of death for the livestock and must file a Notice of Loss within 30 calendar days from the date the loss of livestock was apparent.

NAP - Producers must purchase a NAP policy to qualify for grazing losses. A grazing loss for the county is determined at the end of the growing season.

DROUGHT MONITOR

The drought summary this week for the High Plains rated the topsoil moisture @ 61% very short, Kansas wheat was rated at 46% very poor to poor. The SW corner of the state was moved to a D4 (exceptional drought). See this KiowaCountyPress.net article for more details.

Kiowa County FSA Committee

Destiny Haase - LAA 2 – Central area – Committee Chairperson
Sean Harkness – LAA 1 – East area – Committee Vice-Chairperson
Michael Zimmerman – LAA3 – West area – Committee Regular Member

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