RMA streamlines Illinois acreage reporting dates

[December 09, 2011]  SPRINGFIELD -- The Risk Management Agency and the Farm Service Agency have established 15 common acreage reporting dates for producers participating in RMA and FSA programs. Brian D. Frieden, director of the Springfield office of the Risk Management Agency, explained that "for Illinois producers, this means the number of acreage reporting dates will decrease from six to four."

Beginning in 2012, spring cabbage (planted March 15-May 31), corn, grain sorghum, green peas, hybrid corn seed, spring oats, perennial forage, popcorn, processing beans, pumpkins, soybeans, sweet corn and any other crops not listed elsewhere will have a July 15 acreage reporting date. Summer cabbage (planted Jun 1-July 20) will have an Aug. 15 acreage reporting date.

Beginning in 2013, the acreage reporting date for apples and peaches will be Jan. 15. For fall barley, perennial forage, fall wheat and any other fall-seeded small grain, the reporting date will be Dec. 15.

Before this streamlining initiative, RMA had 54 acreage reporting dates for 122 crops across the United States. That number has been reduced to 15 acreage reporting dates. These common dates between RMA and FSA will reduce some of the reporting burden on producers and allow USDA agencies to share similar data.

"It is always important for producers to discuss any questions or concerns with their crop insurance agent, including how these dates will affect them," Frieden said.

For more information and a list of local crop insurance agents, visit the RMA website at www.rma.usda.gov/tools/agent.html.

Waivers of administrative fees for producers who qualify as limited-resource farmers are available. Crop insurance agents will assist those qualifying producers with determining eligibility for waivers.

[Text from file received from the USDA Risk Management Agency]