USDA Farm Service Agency urges producers to enroll in DCP/ACRE

[May 30, 2013]  SPRINGFIELD -- Scherrie V. Giamanco, state executive director of the United States Department of Agriculture's Illinois Farm Service Agency, encourages farmers and ranchers to enroll before the deadline for the 2013 Direct and Counter-Cyclical Payment program, known as DCP, or the Average Crop Revenue Election program, known as ACRE. Producers who wait until the last minute to sign up could face increased waiting time in FSA county offices. The ACRE deadline is Monday.

"We understand that producers have become very busy, but they can't forget to visit their county office and sign up for DCP or ACRE," said Giamanco. "Just as farmers and ranchers plan their spring plantings, producers should plan to schedule an appointment to visit their USDA Service Center at the earliest possible time. It's best to complete the paperwork now rather than to stand in line the day before the deadline."

The sign-up for both programs began Feb. 19. The deadline to sign up for ACRE is June 3, and the DCP sign-up period ends Aug. 2.

The 2013 DCP and ACRE program provisions are unchanged from 2012, except that all eligible participants in 2013 may choose to enroll in either DCP or ACRE for the 2013 crop year. This means that eligible producers who were enrolled in ACRE in 2012 may elect to enroll in DCP in 2013 or may re-enroll in ACRE in 2013, and vice versa.

For more information about the programs and loans administered by FSA, visit any FSA county office or www.fsa.usda.gov/il.

[Text from file received from Illinois Farm Service Agency]