IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER:

• March 15th – July 15^th - CRP primary nesting season.  No activity is allowed on CRP contracts, except for Grassland contracts. Break-outs of ANY CRP lands is prohibited during PNS.  This includes contracts that are voluntarily terminated with refunds made back to CCC and expired CRP contracts.    
• July 15, 2025 - Deadline for Spring Certification.  
• August 15, 2025 - Deadline to submit E-CAP application.

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. 

ADDITIONAL MASC PAYMENTS TO BE ISSUED

USDA Secretary Rollins today announced a second round of payments coming this week for specialty crop producers through the Marketing Assistance for Specialty Crops (MASC) program, providing up to $1.3 billion in additional program assistance. U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) already delivered just under $900 million in first round payments to eligible producers.

“President Trump is again putting farmers first. After a thorough review of USDA funding for certain programs to ensure they align with the President’s policies and uphold our commitment to responsible distribution of American taxpayer dollars, USDA resumed MASC payments. I am happy to announce this second round of support for specialty crop producers today and we are thankful for the work they do to produce the safest, most abundant food supply for our families and the world,” said Secretary Rollins.

About MASC

First announced in December 2024, MASC authorized $2 billion in Commodity Credit Corporation funds to assist specialty crop growers with rising input costs and aid in the expansion of domestic markets. In January 2025, in response to stakeholder feedback and program demand, funding for MASC was increased to $2.65 billion. The MASC application period closed on Jan. 10, 2025.

MASC is designed to help specialty crop producers meet higher marketing costs related to:

• perishability of specialty crops like fruits, vegetables, floriculture, nursery crops and herbs;
• specialized handling and transport equipment with temperature and humidity control;
• packaging to prevent damage;
• moving perishables to market quickly; and
• higher labor costs.

MASC covers the following commercially marketed specialty crops:

• fruits (fresh, dried);
• vegetables (including dry edible beans and peas, mushrooms, and vegetable seed);
• tree nuts;
• and other specialty crops

File a Notice of Loss for Failed and Prevented Planted Acres

USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) reminds you to report prevented planted and failed acres in order to establish or retain FSA program eligibility for some programs.

You should report crop acreage you intended to plant, but due to natural disaster, were prevented from planting. Prevented planting acreage must be reported on form CCC-576, Notice of Loss, no later than 15 calendar days after the final planting date as established by FSA and the Risk Management Agency (RMA). 

Additionally, if you have failed acres, you should also use form CCC-576, Notice of Loss, to report failed acres. 

For hand-harvested crops and certain perishables, you must notify FSA of damage or loss through the administrative county office within 72 hours of the date of damage or loss first becomes apparent. This notification can be provided by filing a CCC-576, email, fax or phone. If you notify the County Office by any method other than by filing the CCC-576, you are still required to file a CCC-576, Notice of Loss, within the required 15 calendar days.

For losses on crops covered by the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP), you must file a Notice of Loss within 15 days of the occurrence of the disaster or when losses become apparent.  You must timely file a Notice of Loss for failed acres on all crops including grasses.