What's up at the FSA Office?
Meeting
The next Allamakee County Committee meeting will be January 15, 2016 at 9 a.m. at the Allamakee County FSA Office conference room.
Reminders
December 1 through February 26, 2016: New CRP Signup
December 25: Closed, Christmas Day.
January 1, 2016: Closed, New Years Day.
New General CRP Signup
December 1, 2015, through February 26, 2016 is the new general CRP signup. Land that is not currently enrolled in CRP may be offered for enrollment during CRP signup 49. In addition, CRP participants with contracts expiring on September 30, 2016, may submit offers at this time. Accepted contracts for CRP signup 49 will become effective on October 1, 2016. For more details contact the Allamakee County FSA Office at (563)568-2148.
2016 ARCPLC Enrollment Starts December 7, 2015
There are no major changes with the ARCPLC enrollment process from the 2014 and 2015 to the 2016 program year.
Base Acres and PLC Yields shall be restored for the 2016 program year for 9/30/2015 expiring CRP BEFORE completing an enrollment contract on the farm.
2016 Enrollment deadline is August 1, 2016 for program year 2016
2016 County Yields will not be determined until after September of 2017.
2016 Marketing Year Average Prices (MYA) for Corn & Soybeans is determined in September of 2017, and payments issued, if earned, in October of 2017.
Questions regarding the 2016 ARCPLC program? Contact the Allamakee County FSA Office at (563) 568-2148.
Nonrecourse Marketing Assistance Loan (MAL) and Loan Deficiency Payment (LDP) Programs
MALs provide producers interim financing at harvest time to help them meet cash flow needs when market prices are typically at harvest-time lows. MALs for covered commodities are nonrecourse because the commodity is pledged as loan collateral and producers have the option of delivering the pledged collateral to the CCC as full payment for the loan at maturity. A producer who is eligible to obtain a loan, but who agrees to forgo the loan, may obtain an LDP. An LDP is the amount by which the applicable loan rate exceeds the alternative loan repayment rate for the respective commodity.
Allamakee County Loan Rates are as follows:
Corn - $1.87 per bushel
Oats - $1.43 per bushel
Soybeans - $4.99 per bushel
Barley - $1.70 per bushel
FSA is now accepting applications for all eligible commodities. For expedited service, interested producers are encouraged to schedule an appointment. Other program restrictions may apply, including limits on total payments or gross income thresholds. Consult with the Allamakee FSA office for further details. For more information, visit www.fsa.usda.gov/pricesupport
Maintaining the Quality of Farm-Stored Loan 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.
Farmers to Receive Documentation of USDA Services
Local Offices Issue Receipts for Services Provided
Farm Service Agency (FSA) reminds agricultural producers that FSA provides a receipt to customers who request or receive assistance or information on FSA programs.
As part of FSA’s mission to provide enhanced customer service, producers who visit FSA will receive documentation of services requested and provided. From December through June, FSA issued more than 327,000 electronic receipts.
The 2014 Farm Bill requires a receipt to be issued for any agricultural program assistance requested from FSA, the National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Rural Development (RD). Receipts include the date, summary of the visit and any agricultural information, program and/or loan assistance provided to an individual or entity.
In some cases, a form or document – such as a completed and signed program enrollment form –serve as the customer receipt instead of a printed or electronic receipt. A service is any information, program or loan assistance provided whether through a visit, email, fax or letter.
BEGINNING FARMERS AND RANCHERS LOANS
Each fiscal year, FSA targets a portion of its direct and guaranteed farm ownership and operating loan funds to beginning farmers and ranchers. FSA makes and guarantees loans to beginning farmers and ranchers who are unable to obtain financing from commercial lenders. A beginning farmer or rancher is an individual or entity who (1) has not operated a farm or ranch for more than 10 years, (2) meets the loan eligibility requirements of the program to which he/she is applying, (3) substantially participates in the operation, and, (4) for farm ownership loan purposes, does not own a farm greater than 30 percent of the median size farm in the county and meet training and experience requirements. For more information, visit www.fsa.usda.gov/farmloans.
