Program deadlines ahead

As we now proceed directly into the planting season of 2012 -- a very busy time on the farm -- there are some USDA program deadlines that remain on the schedule.

The extended CRP general sign up ends this Friday, April 13. Reporting wheat, oats, and barley acres for the year can be accomplished by May 31.

The annual Direct and Counter-cyclical Program (DCP) enrollment concludes the following day -- June 1.

June 1 is also the Supplemental Revenue Assistance Payment Program (SURE) deadline for crop year 2010. The final reporting date for spring and summer planted crops (corn, grain sorghum, soybeans, sorghum silage, sudan grass, etc.) for this year is a couple of weeks earlier than in past years -- July 15 is now the deadline.

As mentioned above, the 2012 deadline to enroll in the DCP is June 1. All producers interested in DCP are encouraged to visit the service center where their farm is administered and sign up before the planting season gets busier.

Enrollments cannot be accepted after the deadline, so enrolling now may help producers avoid missing the deadline during one of the most demanding times of the year.

DCP provides payments to eligible producers on farms enrolled through the 2012 crop year. There are two types of DCP payments: direct payments and counter-cyclical payments. Both are calculated using the base acres and payment yields established for the farm.

DCP is authorized by the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (2008 Farm Bill).

Please note: The acreage reporting time frame has been revised (accelerating the reporting date to July 15 for spring/summer planted crops, and Dec. 15 for wheat) to accommodate the use of this data for crop insurance reporting requirements.

However, contrary to prior information we may have conveyed to producers a report filed this year with FSA will not replace the acreage report needing to be filed with your crop insurance agent. FSA offices had been misinformed earlier concerning this issue.

In conclusion, U.S. agriculture is currently experiencing one of its most productive periods in American history thanks to the productivity, resiliency and resourcefulness of our producers.

A strong farm safety net is important to sustain the success of American agriculture. USDA's crop insurance program is one of those safety net features. Ag producers now insure 264 million acres, representing 1.14 million policies and $110 billion worth of liability on about 500,000 farms.

And in response to tighter financial markets, USDA has expanded the availability of farm credit, helping struggling farmers refinance loans.

In the past three years, USDA provided 103,000 loans to family farmers totaling $14.6 billion. Over 50 percent of the loans went to beginning and socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers.

For more information on these and other FSA programs, contact your local FSA service center or visit the FSA website at www.fsa.usda.gov. In Bourbon County, call (620) 223-1880 for information or to schedule an appointment for your office visit.