|
 Producers will be able to submit applications that include these
commodities on Monday, July 13, 2020. USDA’s Farm Service Agency
(FSA) is accepting through Aug. 28, 2020, applications for CFAP,
which helps offset price declines and additional marketing costs
because of the coronavirus pandemic. USDA expects additional
eligible commodities to be announced in the coming weeks.
USDA collected comments and supporting data for consideration of
additional commodities through June 22, 2020
Changes to CFAP include:
Adding the following commodities: alfalfa sprouts, anise,
arugula, basil, bean sprouts, beets, blackberries, Brussels
sprouts, celeriac (celery root), chives, cilantro, coconuts,
collard greens, dandelion greens, greens (others not listed
separately), guava, kale greens, lettuce – including Boston,
green leaf, Lolla Rossa, oak leaf green, oak leaf red and red
leaf – marjoram, mint, mustard, okra, oregano, parsnips, passion
fruit, peas (green), pineapple, pistachios, radicchio, rosemary,
sage, savory, sorrel, fresh sugarcane, Swiss chard, thyme and
turnip top greens.
Expanding for seven currently eligible commodities –
apples, blueberries, garlic, potatoes, raspberries, tangerines
and taro – CARES Act funding for sales losses because USDA found
these commodities had a 5 percent or greater price decline
between mid-January and mid-April as a result of the COVID-19
pandemic. Originally, these commodities were only eligible for
marketing adjustments.
Determining that peaches and rhubarb no longer qualify
for payment under the CARES Act sales loss category.
Correcting payment rates for apples, artichokes,
asparagus, blueberries, cantaloupes, cucumbers, garlic,
kiwifruit, mushrooms, papaya, peaches, potatoes, raspberries,
rhubarb, tangerines and taro.
Additional details can be found in the Federal Register in the
Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) and Final Rule Correction
and at www.farmers.
gov/cfap.
Producers have several options for applying to the CFAP program:
1) Using an online portal, accessible at farmers.gov/cfap,
allows producers with secure USDA login credentials—known as
eAuthentication—to certify eligible commodities online,
digitally sign applications and submit directly to the local
USDA Service Center. New commodities will be available in the
system on July 13, 2020.
2) Completing the application form using our CFAP Application
Generator and Payment Calculator found at farmers.gov/cfap. This
Excel workbook allows customers to input information specific to
their operation to determine estimated payments and populate the
application form, which can be printed, then signed and
submitted to their local USDA Service Center. An updated version
with the new commodities will be available on the website on
July 13, 2020.
3) Downloading the AD-3114 application form from farmers.gov/cfap
and manually completing the form to submit to the local USDA
Service Center by mail, electronically or by hand delivery to an
office drop box. In some limited cases, the office may be open
for in-person business by appointment. Visit farmers.gov/coronavirus/service-center-status
to check the status of your local office.
USDA Service Centers can also work with producers to complete
and securely transmit digitally signed applications through two
commercially available tools: Box and OneSpan. Producers who are
interested in digitally signing their applications should notify
their local service centers when calling to discuss the CFAP
application process. You can learn more about these solutions at
farmers.gov/mydocs.
USDA Offers Targeted Farm Loan Funding for
Underserved Groups and Beginning Farmers
The USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) reminds producers that FSA
offers targeted farm ownership and farm operating loans to
assist underserved applicants and beginning farmers and
ranchers.
USDA defines underserved applicants as a group whose members
have been subjected to racial, ethnic, or gender prejudice
because of their identity as members of the group without regard
to their individual qualities. For farm loan program purposes,
targeted underserved groups are women, African Americans,
American Indians and Alaskan Natives, Hispanics and Asians and
Pacific Islanders.
Underserved or beginning farmers and ranchers who cannot obtain
commercial credit from a bank can apply for either FSA direct
loans or guaranteed loans. Direct loans are made to applicants
by FSA. Guaranteed loans are made by lending institutions who
arrange for FSA to guarantee the loan. FSA can guarantee up to
95 percent of the loss of principal and interest on a loan. The
FSA guarantee allows lenders to make agricultural credit
available to producers who do not meet the lender's normal
underwriting criteria.
The direct and guaranteed loan program provides for two types of
loans: farm ownership loans and farm operating loans. In
addition to customary farm operating and ownership loans, FSA
offers Microloans through the direct loan program. Microloans
focus on the financing needs of small, beginning farmer, niche,
and non-traditional farm operations. Microloans are available
for both ownership and operating finance needs. To learn more
about microloans, visit fsa.usda.gov/microloans.
To qualify as a beginning producer, the individual or entity
must meet the eligibility requirements outlined for direct or
guaranteed loans. Individuals and all entity members must have
operated a farm for less than 10 years. Applicants must mater
ially or substantially participate in the operation.
For more information on FSA’s farm loan programs and targeted
underserved and beginning farmer guidelines, contact your local
County USDA Service Center or visit fsa.usda.gov/farmloans.
One-Time PLC Yield Updates – Deadline
September 30
Farm owners have a one-time opportunity to update PLC yields of
covered commodities on the farm, regardless of Agriculture Risk
Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC)program election.
The deadline to request a PLC yield update is September 30,
2020.
The updated yield will be equal to 90 percent of the average
yield per planted acre in crop years 2013-2017 (excluding any
year where the applicable covered commodity was not planted),
subject to the ratio obtained by dividing the 2008-2012 average
national yield by the 2013-2017 average national yield for the
covered commodity. If the reported yield in any year is less
than 75 percent of the 2013-2017 average county yield, then the
yield will be substituted with 75 percent of the county average
yield.
The chart below provides the ratio obtained by dividing the
2008-2012 average national yield by the 2013-2017 average
national yield for each covered commodity.
|
Covered Commodity |
National Yield Factor |
|
Barley |
0.9437 |
|
Canola |
0.9643 |
|
Chickpeas, Large |
1.0000 |
|
Chickpeas, Small |
0.9760 |
|
Corn |
0.9000 |
|
Crambe |
1.0000 |
|
Flaxseed |
1.0000 |
|
Grain Sorghum |
0.9077 |
|
Lentils |
1.0000 |
|
Mustard Seed |
0.9460 |
|
Oats |
0.9524 |
|
Peanuts |
0.9273 |
|
Peas, Dry |
0.9988 |
|
Rapeseed |
1.0000 |
|
Rice, Long |
0.9330 |
|
Rice, Medium |
0.9887 |
|
Rice, Temp Japonica |
0.9591 |
|
Safflower |
1.0000 |
|
Seed Cotton |
0.9000 |
|
Sesame Seed |
0.9673 |
|
Soybeans |
0.9000 |
|
Sunflower Seed |
0.9396 |
|
Wheat |
0.9545 |
It is the owner’s choice whether to update or
keep existing PLC yields. If a yield update is not made, then no
action is required to maintain the existing PLC yield. An
existing or updated PLC yield will be maintained and effective
for crop years 2020 through 2023 (life of the 2018 Farm Bill).
PLC yields may be updated on a covered commodity-by-covered
commodity basis using FSA form CCC-867.
For more information, reference resources and decision tools,
visit farmers.gov/arc-plc. Contact your local Farm Service
Agency Office for assistance – farmers.gov/service-center-locator.
FSA Reminds Producers of Ongoing Disaster
Assistance Program Signup
USDA has started making payments through the Wildfire and
Hurricane Indemnity Program – Plus (WHIP+) to agricultural
producers who suffered eligible losses because of drought or
excess moisture in 2018 and 2019. Signup for these causes of
loss opened March 23, and producers who suffered losses from
drought (in counties designated D3 or above), excess moisture,
hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, typhoons, volcanic activity,
snowstorms or wildfires can still apply for assistance through
WHIP+.
To be eligible for WHIP+, producers must have suffered losses of
certain crops, trees, bushes or vines in counties with a
Presidential Emergency Disaster Declaration or a Secretarial
Disaster Designation (primary counties only) for qualifying
natural disaster events that occurred in calendar years 2018 or
2019. Also, losses located in a county not designated by the
Secretary as a primary county may be eligible if a producer
provides documentation showing that the loss was due to a
qualifying natural disaster event.
For losses due to drought, a producer is eligible if any area of
the county in which the loss occurred was rated D3, or extreme
drought, or higher on the U.S. Drought Monitor during calendar
years 2018 or 2019. Producers who suffered losses should contact
their FSA county office.
In addition to the recently added eligible losses of drought and
excess moisture, FSA will implement a WHIP+ provision for crop
quality loss that resulted in price deductions or penalties when
marketing crops were damaged by eligible disaster events. To
ensure an effective program for all impacted farmers, the Agency
is currently gathering information on the extent of quality loss
from producers and stakeholder organizations.
USDA Service Centers, including FSA county offices, are open for
business by phone only, and field work will continue with
appropriate social distancing. While program delivery staff will
continue to come into the office, they will be working with
producers by phone and using online tools whenever possible. All
Service Center visitors wishing to conduct business with the
FSA, Natural Resources Conservation Service or any other Service
Center agency are required to call their Service Center to
schedule a phone appointment. More information on Service
Centers can be found at farmers.gov/coronavirus, and more
information on WHIP+ can be found at farmers.gov/whip-plus.
Actively Engaged Provisions for Non-Family
Joint Operations or Entities
Many Farm Service Agency programs require all program
participants, either individuals or legal entities, to be
“actively engaged in farming.” This means participants provide a
significant contribution to the farming operation, whether it is
capital, land, equipment, active personal labor and/or
management. For entities, each partner, stockholder or member
with an ownership interest, must contribute active personal
labor and/or management to the operation on a regular basis that
is identifiable and documentable as well as separate and
distinct from contributions of any other member. Members of
joint operations must have a share of the profits or losses from
the farming operation commensurate with the member’s
contributions to the operation and must make contributions to
the farming operation that are at risk for a loss, with the
level of risk being commensurate with the member’s claimed share
on the farming operation.
Joint operations comprised of non-family members or partners,
stockholders or persons with an ownership in the farming
operation must meet additional payment eligibility provisions.
Joint operations comprised of family members are exempt from
these additional requirements. For 2016 and subsequent crop
years, non-family joint operations can have one member that may
use a significant contribution of active personal management
exclusively to meet the requirements to be determined “actively
engaged in farming.” The person or member will be defined as the
farm manager for the purposes of administering these management
provisions.
Non-family joint operations may request to add up to two
additional managers for their farming operation based on the
size and/or complexity of the operation. If additional farm
managers are requested and approved, all members who contribute
management are required to complete form CCC-902MR, Management
Activity Record. The farm manager should use the form to record
management activities including capital, labor and agronomics,
which includes crop selection, planting decisions, acquisition
of inputs, crop management and marketing decisions. One form
should be used for each month and the farm manager should enter
the number of hours of time spent for each activity under the
date of the month the actions were completed. The farm manager
must also document if each management activity was completed on
the farm or remotely.
The records and supporting business documentation must be
maintained and timely made available for review by the
appropriate FSA reviewing authority, if requested.
If the farm manager fails to meet these requirements, their
contribution of active personal management to the farming
operation for payment eligibility purposes will be disregarded
and their payment eligibility status will be re-determined for
the applicable program year.
In some instances, additional persons or members of a non-family
member joint operation who meet the definition of farm manager
may also be allowed to use such a contribution of active
personal management to meet the eligibility requirements.
However, under no circumstances may the number of farm managers
in a non-family joint operation exceed a total of three in any
given crop and program year.
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Maintaining the Quality of Loaned Grain
Bins are ideally designed to hold a level volume of grain. When bins
are overfilled and grain is heaped up, airflow is hindered and the
chance of spoilage increases.
Producers who take out marketing assistance loans and use the
farm-stored grain as collateral should remember that they are
responsible for maintaining the quality of the grain through the
term of the loan.
Report Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance
Program (NAP) Losses
NAP provides financial assistance to you for crops that aren’t
eligible for crop insurance to protect against lower yields or crops
unable to be planted due to natural disasters including freeze,
hail, excessive moisture, excessive wind or hurricanes, flood,
excessive heat and qualifying drought (includes native grass for
grazing), among others.
To receive payment, you had to purchase NAP coverage for 2020 crops
and file a notice of loss the earlier of 15 days of the occurrence
of the disaster or when losses become apparent or 15 days of the
final harvest date.
For hand-harvested crops and certain perishable crops, you must
notify FSA within 72 hours of when a loss becomes apparent.
Eligible crops must be commercially produced agricultural
commodities for which crop insurance is not available, including
perennial grass forage and grazing crops, fruits, vegetables,
mushrooms, floriculture, ornamental nursery, aquaculture, turf
grass, ginseng, honey, syrup, bioenergy, and industrial crops.
For more information on NAP, contact your local County USDA Service
Center at or visit fsa.usda.gov/nap.
USDA Extends Deadlines, Defers Interest Accrual
Due to COVID-19
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Risk Management Agency (RMA)
announced it will authorize Approved Insurance Providers (AIPs) to
extend deadlines for premium and administrative fee payments, defer
the resulting interest accrual and allow other flexibilities to help
farmers, ranchers, and insurance providers due to the COVID-19
pandemic.
USDA recognizes farmers and ranchers have been severely affected by
the COVID-19 Pandemic this year and to help ease the burden on these
folks, we are continuing to extend flexibility for producers. The
flexibilities announced support health and safety while also
ensuring the Federal crop insurance program continues to serve as a
vital risk management tool.
Background:
Specifically, USDA is authorizing AIPs to provide policyholders
additional time to pay premium and administrative fees and to waive
accrual of interest to the earlier of 60 days after their scheduled
payment due date or the termination date on policies with premium
billing dates between August 1, 2020, and September 30, 2020. In
addition, USDA is authorizing AIPs to provide up to an additional 60
days for policyholders to make payment and waive additional interest
for Written Payment Agreements due between August 1, 2020, and
September 30, 2020.
RMA is authorizing additional flexibilities due to coronavirus while
continuing to support producers, working through AIPs to deliver
services, including processing policies, claims and agreements. RMA
staff are working with AIPs and other customers by phone, mail and
electronically to continue supporting crop insurance coverage for
producers. Farmers with crop insurance questions or needs should
continue to contact their insurance agents about conducting business
remotely (by telephone or email). More information can be found at
farmers.gov/coronavirus.
Crop insurance is sold and delivered solely through private
insurance agents. A list of insurance agents is available online
using the RMA Agent Locator. Learn more about crop insurance and the
modern farm safety net at rma.usda.gov.
USDA Announces Streamlined Guaranteed Loans and
Additional Lender Category for Small-Scale Operators
Options Help More Beginning, Small and Urban Producers Gain
Access to Credit
Producers can apply for a streamlined version of USDA guaranteed
loans, which are tailored for smaller scale farms and urban
producers EZ Guarantee Loans use a simplified application process to
help beginning, small, underserved, and family farmers and ranchers
apply for loans of up to $100,000 from USDA-approved lenders to
purchase farmland or finance agricultural operations.
A new category of lenders will join traditional lenders, such as
banks and credit unions, in offering USDA EZ Guarantee Loans.
Microlenders, which include Community Development Financial
Institutions and Rural Rehabilitation Corporations, will be able to
offer their customers up to $50,000 of EZ Guaranteed Loans, helping
to reach urban areas and underserved producers. Banks, credit unions
and other traditional USDA-approved lenders, can offer customers up
to $100,000 to help with agricultural operation costs.
EZ Guarantee Loans offer low interest rates and terms up to seven
years for financing operating expenses and 40 years for financing
the purchase of farm real estate. USDA-approved lenders can issue
these loans with the Farm Service Agency (FSA) guaranteeing the loan
up to 95 percent.
For more information about the available types of FSA farm loans,
contact your local County USDA Service Center or visit fsa.usda.gov/farmloans.
Farm Storage Facility Loans
FSA’s Farm Storage Facility Loan (FSFL) program provides
low-interest financing to producers to build or upgrade storage
facilities and to purchase portable (new or used) structures,
equipment and storage and handling trucks.
The low-interest funds can be used to build or upgrade permanent
facilities to store commodities. Eligible commodities include corn,
grain sorghum, rice, soybeans, oats, peanuts, wheat, barley, minor
oilseeds harvested as whole grain, pulse crops (lentils, chickpeas
and dry peas), hay, honey, renewable biomass, fruits, nuts and
vegetables for cold storage facilities, floriculture, hops, maple
sap, rye, milk, cheese, butter, yogurt, meat and poultry
(unprocessed), eggs, and aquaculture (excluding systems that
maintain live animals through uptake and discharge of water).
Qualified facilities include grain bins, hay barns and cold storage
facilities for eligible commodities.
Loans up to $50,000 can be secured by a promissory note/security
agreement and loans between $50,000 and $100,000 may require
additional security. Loans exceeding $100,000 require additional
security.
Producers do not need to demonstrate the lack of commercial credit
availability to apply. The loans are designed to assist a diverse
range of farming operations, including small and mid-sized
businesses, new farmers, operations supplying local food and farmers
markets, non-traditional farm products, and underserved producers.
To learn more about the FSA Farm Storage Facility Loan, visit
www.fsa.usda.gov/pricesupport or contact your local FSA county
office. To find your local FSA county office, visit
http://offices.usda.gov
ARC/PLC Acreage Maintenance
Producers enrolled in the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) or Price
Loss Coverage (PLC) programs must protect all cropland and
noncropland acres on the farm from wind and water erosion and
noxious weeds. Producers who sign ARC county or individual contracts
and PLC contracts agree to effectively control noxious weeds on the
farm according to sound agricultural practices. If a producer fails
to take necessary actions to correct a maintenance problem on a farm
that is enrolled in ARC or PLC, the County Committee may elect to
terminate the contract for the program year.
Unauthorized Disposition of Grain
If loan grain has been disposed of through feeding, selling or any
other form of disposal without prior written authorization from the
county office staff, it is considered unauthorized disposition and a
violation of the terms and conditions of the Note and Security
Agreement. The financial penalties for unauthorized dispositions are
severe and a producer’s name will be placed on a loan violation list
for a two-year period. Always call before you haul any grain under
loan. If you have questions concerning the movement of grain under
loan, please contact your local county FSA office.
Illinois NRCS Welcomes New Kind of
Conservationist
USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Illinois
recently filled a key staff position at their State Office facility
in Champaign. It’s a new position—one this agency has never had
before—and adding the position is truly a sign of the times for
what’s happening in production agriculture. While NRCS is always
happy to have additional staff, they are especially eager to tap
into the technical skills and knowledge Dr. Zuber brings to the
team. As the new Soil Health Specialist, Stacy Zuber comes to the
conservation agency from a position at the University of Missouri,
but Illinois is her home—it’s where she grew up and where she went
to college. Zuber sees this an as opportunity to do what she loves
and to do it back here in Illinois.
While NRCS has more than 84 years of experience reducing soil
erosion on the land, the intricacies and science of soil biology are
unfolding each day. The growing interest and activity in this area
demanded that NRCS have the best and brightest research
professionals on the team. Because Stacy is from Illinois, so she
knows these soils. The NRCS staff is excited to have her expertise
and passion to increase our success and improve soils here on
Illinois farms.
Zuber attended the University of Illinois, earning a bachelor’s
degree in Chemistry, a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in Crop Sciences.
Her graduate school research projects focused on impacts on soil
health following long-term extended crop rotation and no-till in
Illinois soils. Zuber conducted research projects during
post-doctoral experiences in Indiana and Missouri. In Indiana, she
did on-farm research with Purdue University and the Conservation
Cropping System Initiative to evaluate commercial soil health tests.
In Missouri, she worked on a state-wide assessment of soil health
indicators from farmers’ fields enrolled in a state cover crop
cost-share program.
Zuber will be instrumental in providing soil health training and
information to staff, conservation partners, and working with
farmers on new research, field days, and experiments to improve
organic matter levels, water infiltration rates, and soil
productivity. Zuber is happy to be part of the NRCS team and to help
farmers protect and improve Illinois soils.
Illinois NRCS has also recently filled the vacant State Resource
Conservationist position. George Henshaw will oversee work and
functions of the Ecological Sciences staff, which includes soil
health and other technical specialists like biology, agronomy,
forestry, and others. Working together, these skilled specialists
make up his team that provide guidance and training essential to the
science-based tools and conservation practices NRCS offers farmers
and landowners every day. Henshaw most recently served as Assistant
State Conservationist for Programs in Columbia, Missouri.
Welcome to Illinois and welcome to the many different conservation
partners who work together across the state to serve farmers and
production agriculture. To learn more about Illinois NRCS and soil
health, visit
www.il.nrcs.usda.gov.
August Interest Rates and Important Dates
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Illinois Farm Service Agency
3500 Wabash Ave.
Springfield, IL 62711
Phone: 217-241-6600 ext. 2
Fax: 855-800-1760
www.fsa.usda.gov/il
State Executive Director:
William J. Graff
State Committee:
James Reed-Chairperson
Melanie DeSutter-Member
Kirk Liefer-Member
George Obernagel III-Member
Troy Uphoff-Member
Administrative Officer:
Dan Puccetti
Division Chiefs:
Vicki Donaldson
John Gehrke
Randy Tillman
Acting Division Chief:
Ray Gvillo
To find contact information for your local office go to
www.fsa.usda.gov/il
Check out https://www.farmers.gov/ for information about ALL the
programs available through your local USDA Service Center FSA and
NRCS offices, including county office locations, agriculture
statistics, loan interest rates and much more!
Learn about Risk Management Agency's crop insurance programs at
https://cropinsurance101.org/ |
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