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Farm Service Agency announces program deadlinesKansas Adrian J. Polansky, state executive director of USDA's Farm Service Agency in Kansas made several announcements Oct. 23 affecting program deadlines for Kansas farmers and ranchers. Enrollment for the 2010 Direct and Counter-cyclical Program and the Average Crop Revenue Election program has begun and will continue through June 1, 2010. USDA computes DCP Program payments using base acres and payment yields established for each farm. Eligible producers receive direct payments at rates established by statute regardless of market prices. Producers may request an advance direct payment based on 22 percent of the direct payment. USDA will issue advance direct payments beginning Dec. 1. Counter-cyclical payment rates vary depending on market prices. Counter-cyclical payments are issued only when the effective price for a commodity is below its target price. The optional ACRE Program provides a safety net based on state revenue losses and acts in place of the price-based safety net of counter-cyclical payments under DCP. A farm's payment is based on a revenue guarantee calculated using a 5-year average state yield and the most recent 2-year national price for each eligible commodity. An ACRE payment is issued when both the state and the farm have incurred a revenue loss. The payment is based on 83.3 percent (85 percent in 2012) of the farm's planted acres times the difference between the State ACRE guarantee and the state revenue times the ratio of the farm's yield divided by the state expected yield. In exchange for participating in ACRE, in addition to not receiving counter-cyclical payments, a farm's direct payment is reduced by 20 percent, and marketing assistance loan rates are reduced by 30 percent. The decision to enroll in the ACRE Program is irrevocable. Once enrolled, the farm shall be enrolled for that initial crop year and will remain in ACRE through the 2012 crop year. The June 1, 2010, deadline for DCP and ACRE is mandatory and USDA will not accept any late-filed applications. The loan limit for FSA's Guaranteed Loan Program has been increased to $1,112,000, effective Oct. 1. The increased limit will enhance the agency's ability to meet the credit needs of farmers and ranchers throughout the country. The Guaranteed Loan Program allows commercial and farm credit lenders to extend credit to qualified applicants, who otherwise would not meet their standard lending criteria. Participating lenders can use the Guaranteed Loan Program to strengthen a loan's viability through a guarantee of up to 95 percent of the loan amount. Farmers interested in guaranteed loans should apply through a conventional lender. FSA also offers the Direct Loan Program as an alternative for those unable to obtain financing from commercial credit sources. Direct farm loans are government-funded, and made by FSA. The loan limit for loans under the Direct Program is $300,000. A percentage of FSA's farm loan funds are set-aside for socially disadvantaged applicants (minorities and women) and beginning farmers. Other FSA programs currently available are Farm Storage Facility Loans, Milk Income Loss Contract Program, Livestock Indemnity Program, Livestock Forage Program, Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honey Bees, and Farm-Raised Fish, Commodity Loans and Loan Deficiency Payments, Continuous CRP, Biomass Crop Assistance Program and Non-Insured Crop Disaster Assistance Program. Producers with contracts to deliver eligible biomass materials to an approved Biomass Conversion Facility must file an application at the local FSA county office before sale or delivery of the materials to be eligible for the collection, harvest, storage, and transportation (CHST) payments under the Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP). To date, the following facilities have been approved as qualifying Biomass Conversion Facilities for producers in Kansas counties: --Prairie Fire BioEnergy Cooperative, 97 W Hwy 4, Healy, KS 67850, Phone 620-398-2370. --Show Me Energy Cooperative, 102 SW 58 Highway, Centerview, MO 64019-0177, Phone 660-656-3780. Finney, Grant, Greeley, Hamilton, Haskell, Kearny, Logan, Meade, Morton, Seward, Stanton, Stevens, Wallace, and Wichita counties have a D2, D3, or D4 Drought Monitor designation in 2008 which qualifies eligible livestock producers for the Livestock Forage Program (LFP) on certain grazing land losses. For 2008 losses, the application for payment and supporting documentation must be filed by Dec. 10. Producers must obtain crop insurance or NAP coverage on grazing and forage acreage to be eligible for LFP. To be eligible for the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honey Bees, and Farm-Raised Fish (ELAP), producers who suffered losses in calendar year 2008 must provide a notice of loss and application for payment no later than Dec. 10. Producers who suffered eligible losses during Jan. 1, through Sept. 13, shall provide a notice of loss no later than Dec. 10, and an application for payment no later than Jan. 30, 2010. Producers who suffer 2009 losses after Sept. 13 shall file a notice of loss within 30 days of when the loss is apparent to the participant, but no later than Jan. 30, 2010. An application for payment shall be filed no later than Jan. 30, 2010. Producers must obtain crop insurance or NAP coverage on all crops planted on the entire farm to be eligible for ELAP. Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) provides benefits to livestock producers for livestock deaths in excess of normal mortality caused by adverse weather. A Notice of Loss must be filed within 30 days after the death is apparent. The final date to submit an Application for Payment is Jan. 30 of the following year. For Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) coverage, eligible producers must apply and pay the applicable service fees by the application closing date. NAP Service Fees are $250 per crop; $750 per county; $1,875 per producer for all counties. Dec. 1 is the final application closing date for all grasses, alfalfa, apricots, asparagus, blueberries, caneberries, cherries, clover, grapes, lespedeza, honey, mixed forage, nectarines, oats, peaches, plums, strawberries, and vetch.
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