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 The new programs, established by the 2014 Farm Bill, trigger
financial protections for agricultural producers when market
forces cause substantial drops in crop prices or revenues. More
than 1.76 million farmers have elected ARC or PLC. Previously,
1.7 million producers had enrolled to receive direct payments
(the program replaced with ARC and PLC by the 2014 Farm Bill).
This means more farms have elected ARC or PLC than previously
enrolled under previously administered programs.
Nationwide, 96 percent of soybean farms, 91 percent of corn
farms, and 66 percent of wheat farms elected ARC. 99 percent of
long grain rice farms, 99 percent of peanut farms, and 94
percent of medium grain rice farms elected PLC. For data about
other crops and state-by-state program election results go to
www.fsa.usda.gov/arc-plc.
Covered commodities under ARC and PLC include barley, canola,
large and small chickpeas, corn, crambe, flaxseed, grain
sorghum, lentils, mustard seed, oats, peanuts, dry peas,
rapeseed, long grain rice, medium grain rice (which includes
short grain and sweet rice), safflower seed, sesame, soybeans,
sunflower seed and wheat. Upland cotton is no longer a covered
commodity.
For more information please contact your local FSA office
https://offices.usda.gov
USDA Announces Changes to Fruit, Vegetable and Wild Rice
Planting Rules
Farm Service Agency (FSA) has announced fruit, vegetable and
wild rice provisions that affect producers who intend to
participate in certain programs authorized by the Agricultural
Act of 2014.
Producers who intend to participate in the Agriculture Risk
Coverage (ARC) or Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs are subject
to an acre-for-acre payment reduction when fruits and nuts,
vegetables or wild rice are planted on the payment acres of a
farm. Payment reductions do not apply to mung beans, dry peas,
lentils or chickpeas. Planting fruits, vegetables or wild rice
on acres that are not considered payment acres will not result
in a payment reduction. Farms that are eligible to participate
in ARC/PLC but are not enrolled for a particular year may plant
unlimited fruits, vegetables and wild rice for that year but
will not receive ARC/PLC payments for that year. Eligibility for
succeeding years is not affected.
Planting and harvesting fruits, vegetables and wild rice on
ARC/PLC acreage is subject to the acre-for-acre payment
reduction when those crops are planted on either more than 15
percent of the base acres of a farm enrolled in ARC using the
county coverage or PLC, or more than 35 percent of the base
acres of a farm enrolled in ARC using the individual coverage.
Fruits, vegetables and wild rice that are planted in a
double-cropping practice will not cause a payment reduction if
the farm is in a double-cropping region as designated by the
USDA’s Commodity Credit Corporation.
Direct Loans
FSA offers direct farm ownership and direct farm operating loans
to producers who want to establish, maintain or strengthen their
farm or ranch. FSA loan officers process, approve and service
direct loans.
Direct farm operating loans can be used to purchase livestock
and feed, farm equipment, fuel, farm chemicals, insurance and
other costs including family living expenses. Operating loans
can also be used to finance minor improvements or repairs to
buildings and to refinance some farm-related debts, excluding
real estate.
Direct farm ownership loans can be used to purchase farmland,
enlarge an existing farm, construct and repair buildings, and to
make farm improvements.
The maximum loan amount for both direct farm ownership and
operating loans is $300,000 and a down payment is not required.
Repayment terms vary depending on the type of loan, collateral
and the producer's ability to repay the loan. Operating loans
are normally repaid within seven years and farm ownership loans
are not to exceed 40 years.
Please contact your local FSA office for more information or to
apply for a direct farm ownership or operating loan.
Guaranteed Loan Program
FSA guaranteed loans allow lenders to provide agricultural
credit to farmers who do not meet the lender's normal
underwriting criteria. Farmers and ranchers apply for a
guaranteed loan through a lender, and the lender arranges for
the guarantee. FSA can guarantee up to 95 percent of the loss of
principal and interest on a loan. Guaranteed loans can be used
for both farm ownership and operating purposes.
Guaranteed farm ownership loans can be used to purchase
farmland, construct or repair buildings, develop farmland to
promote soil and water conservation or to refinance debt.
Guaranteed operating loans can be used to purchase livestock,
farm equipment, feed, seed, fuel, farm chemicals, insurance and
other operating expenses.
FSA can guarantee farm ownership and operating loans up to
$1,392,000. Repayment terms vary depending on the type of loan,
collateral and the producer's ability to repay the loan.
Operating loans are normally repaid within seven years and farm
ownership loans are not to exceed 40 years.
Please contact your lender or local FSA farm loan office for
more information on guaranteed loans.
June Interest Rates
90-Day Treasury Bill .125%
Farm Operating Loans — Direct 2.375%
Farm Ownership Loans — Direct 3.50%
Farm Ownership Loans — Direct Down Payment, Beginning Farmer or
Rancher 1.50%
Emergency Loans 3.375%
Farm Storage Facility Loans (7 years) 1.875%
Farm Storage Facility Loans (10 years) 2.125%
Farm Storage Facility Loans (12 years) 2.250 %
Commodity Loans 1996 to Present 1.250%
Secretary Vilsack Announces Additional 800,000 Acres
Dedicated to Conservation Reserve Program for Wildlife Habitat
and Wetlands
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced today that an
additional 800,000 acres of highly environmentally sensitive
land may be enrolled in Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) under
certain wetland and wildlife initiatives that provide multiple
benefits on the same land.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will accept new offers
to participate in CRP under a general signup to be held Dec. 1,
2015, through Feb. 26, 2016. Eligible existing program
participants with contracts expiring Sept. 30, 2015, will be
granted an option for one-year extensions. Farmers and ranchers
interested in removing sensitive land from agricultural
production and planting grasses or trees to reduce soil erosion,
improve water quality and restore wildlife habitat are
encouraged to enroll.
For 30 years, the Conservation Reserve Program has helped
farmers and ranchers prevent more than 8 billion tons of soil
from eroding, reduce nitrogen and phosphorous runoff relative to
cropland by 95 and 85 percent respectively, and even sequester
43 million tons of greenhouse gases annually, equal to taking 8
million cars off the road.
The voluntary Conservation Reserve Program allows USDA to
contract with agricultural producers so that environmentally
sensitive land is conserved. Participants establish long-term,
resource-conserving plant species to control soil erosion,
improve water quality and develop wildlife habitat. In return,
USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) provides participants with
rental payments and cost-share assistance. Contract duration is
between 10 and 15 years.
CRP protects water quality and restores significant habitat for
ducks, pheasants, turkey, quail, deer and other important
wildlife which spurs economic development like hunting and
fishing, outdoor recreation and tourism across rural America.
Today’s announcement allows an additional 800,000 acres for duck
nesting habitat and other wetland and wildlife habitat
initiatives to be enrolled in the program.
Farmers and ranchers should consider the various CRP continuous
sign-up initiatives that may help target specific resource
concerns. Financial assistance is offered for many practices
including conservation buffers and pollinator habitat plantings,
and initiatives such as the highly erodible lands, bottomland
hardwood tree and longleaf pine.
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Farmers and ranchers may visit their FSA county office for
additional information. The 2014 Farm Bill authorized the
enrollment of grasslands in CRP and information on grasslands
enrollment will be available after the regulation is published
later this summer.
For more information on CRP and other FSA programs, please visit
www.fsa.usda.gov.
Producers Must Report Prevented Planting and Failed Acres
USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) reminds producers to report prevented
planting and failed acres in order to establish or retain FSA
program eligibility.
Producers must report crop acreage they intended to plant, but due
to natural disaster, were prevented from planting. Prevented
planting acreage must be reported on form FSA-576, Notice of Loss,
no later than 15 calendar days after the final planting date as
established by RMA.
If a producer is unable to report the prevented planting acreage
within the 15 calendar days following the final planting date, a
late-filed report can be submitted. Late-filed reports will only be
accepted if FSA conducts a farm visit to assess the eligible
disaster condition that prevented the crop from being planted. A
measurement service fee will be charged.
Additionally, producers with failed acres should also use form
FSA-576, Notice of Loss, to report failed acres before disposition
of the crop.
For losses on crops covered by the Non-Insured Crop Disaster
Assistance Program (NAP), producers must file a Notice of Loss:
· For prevented planted acreage, within 15 calendar days after the
final planting date
· For low yield, the earlier of :
. 15 calendar days after the disaster occurrence or date of loss to
the crop first becomes
apparent
. 15 calendar days after the normal harvest date
Please contact the local County FSA Office to schedule an
appointment to file a Notice of Loss. To find your local FSA office.
Tree Assistance Program (TAP) Sign-up
Orchardists and nursery tree growers who experience losses from
natural disasters during calendar year 2015 must submit a TAP
application either 90 calendar days after the disaster event or the
date when the loss is apparent. TAP was authorized by the
Agricultural Act of 2014 as a permanent disaster program. TAP
provides financial assistance to qualifying orchardists and nursery
tree growers to replant or rehabilitate eligible trees, bushes and
vines damaged by natural disasters.
Eligible tree types include trees, bushes or vines that produce an
annual crop for commercial purposes. Nursery trees include
ornamental, fruit, nut and Christmas trees that are produced for
commercial sale. Trees used for pulp or timber are ineligible.
To qualify for TAP, orchardists must suffer a qualifying tree, bush
or vine loss in excess of 15 percent mortality from an eligible
natural disaster. The eligible trees, bushes or vines must have been
owned when the natural disaster occurred; however, eligible growers
are not required to own the land on which the eligible trees, bushes
and vines were planted.
If the TAP application is approved, the eligible trees, bushes and
vines must be replaced within 12 months from the date the
application is approved. The cumulative total quantity of acres
planted to trees, bushes or vines, for which a producer can receive
TAP payments, cannot exceed 500 acres annually.
2015 Acreage Reporting Dates
Producers who file accurate and timely reports for all crops and
land uses, including failed acreage can prevent the potential loss
of FSA program benefits. Please pay close attention to the acreage
reporting dates below, as some dates have changed.
In order to comply with FSA program eligibility requirements, all
producers are encouraged to visit their local County FSA office to
file an accurate crop certification report by the applicable
deadline.
The following 2015 acreage reporting dates are applicable for
Illinois:
July 15, 2015 cabbage (planted 3/15 – 5/31), perennial forage with
an intended
use of cover only green manure left standing or seed and all
other crops
August 15, 2015 cabbage (planted 6/1 – 7/20)
September 15, 2015 cucumbers (planted 6/1 – 8/15) in Gallatin,
Lawrence, and White
Counties
The following exceptions apply to the above acreage reporting dates:
· If the crop has not been planted by the above acreage reporting
date, then the acreage must be reported no later than 15 calendar
days after planting is completed.
· If a producer acquires additional acreage after the above acreage
reporting date, then the acreage must be reported no later than 30
calendars days after purchase or acquiring the lease. Appropriate
documentation must be provided to the county office.
Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) policy holders
should note that the acreage reporting date for NAP covered crops is
the earlier of the dates listed above or 15 calendar days before
grazing or harvesting of the crop begins.
For questions regarding crop certification and crop loss reports,
please contact the your local County FSA office.
If filing for prevented planting, an acreage report and CCC-576 must
be filed within 15 calendar days of the final planting date for the
crop.
Important Dates to Remember
June 15, 2015 Nomination Period Begins for County Committee
Elections
June 17, 2015 ARC/PLC Enrollment Period begins
July 1, 2015 MPP Sign-up begins for 2016 coverage
July 3, 2015 Independence Day Observed - FSA Offices are closed
September 30, 2015 ARC/PLC Enrollment Period ends
December 1, 2015 CRP General Sign up begins and ends February 26,
2016
December 1, 2015 Option of 1 year extensions for September 30, 2015
expiring CRP contracts
CORRECTION TO RED LINED ITEM:
The June 2015 Illinois FSA Newsletter contained an
incorrect reference to CRP - 1 year extensions. In the ‘Important
Dates to Remember’ section, December 1, 2015 was listed stating,
‘option of 1 year extensions for September 30, 2015 expiring CRP
contracts’.
General sign up contracts set to expire September 30, 2015 may be
eligible for a one year extension.
Participants must submit requests to extend the expiration date of
those contracts by filing a
CRP-1F Addendum from June 22, 2015 through August 28, 2015 in their
local county FSA office.
The CRP General Sign up is set to begin December 1, 2015 and end
February 26, 2016.
The State Office apologizes for any confusion this may have caused.
Illinois Farm Service Agency
3500
Wabash Ave
Springfield, IL 62711
www.fsa.usda.gov/il
State
Committee:
Jill Appell - Chair
Brenda Hill - Member
Jerry Jimenez - Member
Joyce Matthews - Member
Gordon Stine - Member
State
Executive Director:
Scherrie V. Giamanco
Executive
Officer:
Rick Graden
Administrative Officer:
Dan Puccetti
Division
Chiefs:
Doug Bailey
Jeff Koch
Stan Wilson
Please
contact your local FSA Office for questions specific to your
operation or county.
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