FSA: Extended program signups to begin in February
January 23, 2013 | 04:30 PM
The Agriculture Department’s Farm Service Agency announced Tuesday that signup for farm programs that were extended in the American Taxpayer Relief Act through September 30 will begin in February.
The extended programs include the Direct and Counter-Cyclical Payment Program (DCP), the Average Crop Revenue Election Program (ACRE), and the Milk Income Loss Contract Program (MILC).
FSA will begin sign-ups for DCP and ACRE for the 2013 crops on February 19. The DCP sign-up period will end on August 2. The ACRE sign-up period will end on June 3.
The 2013 DCP and ACRE program provisions are unchanged from 2012, except that all eligible participants in 2013 may choose to enroll in either DCP or ACRE for the 2013 crop year. This means that eligible producers who were enrolled in ACRE in 2012 may elect to enroll in DCP in 2013 or may re-enroll in ACRE in 2013 (and vice versa).
All dairy producers’ Milk Income Loss Contract contracts are automatically extended to September 30. Eligible producers therefore do not need to re-enroll in MILC. Specific details regarding certain modifications to MILC will be released soon, FSA said.
House Agriculture Committee Chairman Frank Lucas, R-Okla., praised Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack for the announcement.
“It is vitally important that our farmers and lenders alike know that Congress and the administration intend to keep the commitment made with the one-year extension of the 2008 farm bill,” said Lucas.
Last week Vilsack raised the possibility that Congress might use the direct payment budget authority for those payments before they would be made in the fall, and Lucas issued a news release that he is determined that the payments will be made.
Lucas added, “I pledge to work with the secretary, my House and Senate colleagues, and all interested parties to advance a fiscally responsible, reform-minded, and balanced farm bill this year. My goal remains, as ever before, to complete our work and ensure our investment in American agriculture.”
The extended programs include the Direct and Counter-Cyclical Payment Program (DCP), the Average Crop Revenue Election Program (ACRE), and the Milk Income Loss Contract Program (MILC).
FSA will begin sign-ups for DCP and ACRE for the 2013 crops on February 19. The DCP sign-up period will end on August 2. The ACRE sign-up period will end on June 3.
The 2013 DCP and ACRE program provisions are unchanged from 2012, except that all eligible participants in 2013 may choose to enroll in either DCP or ACRE for the 2013 crop year. This means that eligible producers who were enrolled in ACRE in 2012 may elect to enroll in DCP in 2013 or may re-enroll in ACRE in 2013 (and vice versa).
All dairy producers’ Milk Income Loss Contract contracts are automatically extended to September 30. Eligible producers therefore do not need to re-enroll in MILC. Specific details regarding certain modifications to MILC will be released soon, FSA said.
House Agriculture Committee Chairman Frank Lucas, R-Okla., praised Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack for the announcement.
“It is vitally important that our farmers and lenders alike know that Congress and the administration intend to keep the commitment made with the one-year extension of the 2008 farm bill,” said Lucas.
Last week Vilsack raised the possibility that Congress might use the direct payment budget authority for those payments before they would be made in the fall, and Lucas issued a news release that he is determined that the payments will be made.
Lucas added, “I pledge to work with the secretary, my House and Senate colleagues, and all interested parties to advance a fiscally responsible, reform-minded, and balanced farm bill this year. My goal remains, as ever before, to complete our work and ensure our investment in American agriculture.”
