Usda Announces Increase To Certain Incentive Payments For Continuous Conservation Reserve Program
WASHINGTON, Dec. 9, 2020 The U.S. Department of Agriculture is increasing incentive payments for practices installed on land enrolled in the Continuous Conservation Reserve Program . USDAs Farm Service Agency is upping the Practice Incentive Payment for installing practices, from 5 percent to 20 percent. Additionally, producers will receive a 10 percent incentive payment for water quality practices on land enrolled in CRPs continuous signup. FSA administers CRP on behalf of the Commodity Credit Corporation.
Enrollment Begins For Agriculture Risk Coverage And Price Loss Coverage Programs For 2021
WASHINGTON, Oct. 14, 2020 Agricultural producers can now make elections and enroll in the Agriculture Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage programs for the 2021 crop year. The signup period opened Tuesday, Oct. 13. These key U.S. Department of Agriculture safety-net programs help producers weather fluctuations in either revenue or price for certain crops, and more than $5 billion in payments are in the process of going out to producers who signed up for the 2019 crop year.
Friday Is The Last Day To Schedule An Appointment With Your Fsa Office To Compete In Crp General Signup
WASHINGTON, D.C., February 25, 2020 Agricultural producers and private landowners interested in the Conservation Reserve Program 2020 general signup must make an offer of acres or schedule an appointment to do so with their local U.S. Department of Agriculture service center by Friday, February 28.
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Dairy Producers Previously Enrolled In The Livestock Gross Margin Program Now Eligible For 2018 Margin Protection Program
WASHINGTON, March 22, 2019 The U.S. Department of Agriculture today announced that dairy producers who elected to participate in the Livestock Gross Margin for Dairy Cattle Program now have the opportunity to participate in the Margin Protection Program for Dairy for 2018 coverage. Sign-up will take place March 25 through May 10, 2019.
Usda Updates Pandemic Assistance For Livestock Poultry Contract Producers And Specialty Crop Growers
WASHINGTON, Aug. 24, 2021The U.S. Department of Agriculture is updating the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 2 for contract producers of eligible livestock and poultry and producers of specialty crops and other sales-based commodities. CFAP 2, which assists producers who faced market disruptions in 2020 due to COVID-19, is part of USDAs broader Pandemic Assistance for Producers initiative. Additionally, USDAs Farm Service Agency has set an Oct. 12 deadline for all eligible producers to apply for or modify applications for CFAP 2.
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Usda Offers Online Tool For Drought
WASHINGTON, Oct. 13, 2021 An online tool is now available to help ranchers document and estimate payments to cover feed transportation costs caused by drought, which are now covered by the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees and Farm-raised Fish Program . The U.S. Department of Agriculture updated the program this year to include feed transportation costs as well as lowered the threshold for when assistance for water hauling expenses is available. USDAs Farm Service Agency will begin taking applications this fall.
Usda Issues First Coronavirus Food Assistance Program Payments
Washington, D.C., June 4, 2020 U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today announced the USDA Farm Service Agency has already approved more than $545 million in payments to producers who have applied for the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program. FSA began taking applications May 26, and the agency has received over 86,000 applications for this important relief program.
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Usda Announces August 2021 Lending Rates For Agricultural Producers
WASHINGTON, August 2, 2021 The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced loan interest rates for August 2021, which are effective August 2. USDAs Farm Service Agency loans provide important access to capital to help agricultural producers start or expand their farming operation, purchase equipment and storage structures, or meet cash flow needs.
Black Farmers Association Condemns Elimination Of Debt Relief Program For Farmers Of Color
Many Black farmers felt a sense of relief when a debt forgiveness program specifically for minority farmers was included in the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.
In the plan, which was signed into law last March, section 1005 includes provisions meant to provide debt relief to Black farmers and other farmers of color who have long been discriminated against by the U.S.Department of Agriculture.
However, a key provision in the new Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, which just passed in the Senate and is expected to become law is causing concern for the future of their livelihoods. The act will offer sweeping economic and climate reforms, including domestic energy production and manufacturing investment, lower prescription costs for seniors, and reducing carbon emissions by roughly 40 percent by 2030.
But, it wont have a program dedicated to addressing the discrimination faced by Black farmers and other farmers of color, as section 2208 of the inflation reduction act will give USDA the authority to aid borrowers of all races and provided additional aid to victims of past discrimination.
Im very, very disappointed in this legislative action, said National Black Farmers Association President John Boyd in a release shared with ESSENCE. Im prepared to fight for debt relief for Black, Native American and other farmers of color all the way to the Supreme Court. Im not going to stop fighting this, he added.
COMPANY INFORMATION
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Usda Offers Clear30 Option For Producers To Enroll Land With Expiring Conservation Contracts
WASHINGTON, April 1, 2022 The U.S. Department of Agriculture is announcing the signup period for its Clean Lakes, Estuaries, And Rivers initiative a nationwide opportunity for certain landowners and agricultural producers currently implementing water quality practices through the Conservation Reserve Program to enroll in 30-year contracts, extending the lifespan and strengthening the benefits of important water quality practices on their land.
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Building Fairer More Competitive Markets For Food And Agriculture Systems
- To help build a more resilient, fairer food supply chain, USDA has is asking for input from U.S. food and agriculture on a range of risks and opportunities, from elevating the importance of local and regional food systems, to addressing the needs of socially disadvantaged and small to mid-size producers, to supporting sustainable practices to advance resilience and competitiveness. Goals of this transformation include a fairer, more competitive, and transparent food system where a greater share of the food dollar goes to those growing, harvesting, and preparing our food and one that promotes and strengthens the overall health and well-being of people, our land and water, and our economy.
Biden Administration To Invest $67 Million To Help Heirs Resolve Land Ownership And Succession Issues
WASHINGTON, July 29, 2021 Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced during a press conference with U.S. Senator Raphael Warnock, U.S. Congressman Sanford D. Bishop, Jr., and U.S. Congresswoman Cheri Bustos that the U.S. Department of Agriculture is providing $67 million in competitive loans through the new Heirs Property Relending Program , which aims to help agricultural producers and landowners resolve heirs land ownership and succession issues. Intermediary lenders — cooperatives, credit unions, and nonprofit organizations can apply for loans up to $5 million at 1% interest once the Farm Service Agency opens the two-month signup window in late August.
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Usda Announces January 2022 Lending Rates For Agricultural Producers
WASHINGTON, Jan. 3, 2022 The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced loan interest rates for January 2022, which are effective Jan. 3. USDAs Farm Service Agency loans provide important access to capital to help agricultural producers start or expand their farming operation, purchase equipment and storage structures or meet cash flow needs.
Crp Emergency Grazing During Primary Nesting Season
Many counties in Colorado are eligible for Emergency grazing of eligible CRP acres due to triggering for LFP payments on small grains not necessarily native pasture. If interested in Emergency grazing of CRP we encourage producers to contact your local FSA office for more information.
Producers who request to graze during the primary nesting season, which is March 15th through July 15th must do the following before grazing can be approved:
NRCS personnel will need to make a field visit to determine if the land can sustain grazing.
- if the contract was grazed after October 1, 2021 the request will be disapproved.
- If the contract was grazed prior to October 1, 2021 there has to be sufficient grass height to allow grazing again. A six-inch grass height must be maintained on all CRP contracts.
If the contract is approved for grazing, the CRP contract participants and the producer with the livestock must sign paperwork at the FSA Office. Grazing plans will be written at 50% stocking rate during primary nesting.
Grazing may commence when the producer receives a phone call from FSA personnel that the grazing has been approved. Official notification in writing will follow.
AT NO TIME CAN FEEDING OF BALES BE ALLOWED ON THE CRP ACRES.
NOTE: If NRCS determines the grazing cannot sustain grazing, CRP producers will be notified.
Haying is not authorized during PNS or primary nesting season.
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Usdas New Crp Pilot Program Offers Longer
WASHINGTON, April 29, 2020 The U.S. Department of Agricultures Farm Service Agency will open signup this summer for CLEAR30, a new pilot program that offers farmers and landowners an opportunity to enroll in a 30-year Conservation Reserve Program contract. This pilot is available to farmers and landowners with expiring water-quality practice CRP contracts in the Great Lakes and Chesapeake Bay regions. The program signup period is July 6 to Aug. 21, 2020.
Streamlined Delivery Of Emergency Relief Programs Is Win
- Streamlined Delivery of Emergency Relief Programs Is Win-Win for USDA and Agricultural Producers
New Program Outperforms Predecessor Disaster Program in speed of assistance and almost 90% reduced application burden, Online Analytics Now Available
WASHINGTON, Aug. 4, 2022 The U.S. Department of Agriculture has processed more than 255,000 applications for the new Emergency Relief Program . USDA has made approximately $6.1 billion, to date, in payments to commodity and specialty crop producers to help offset eligible losses from eligible 2020 and 2021 natural disasters. By breaking-down agency barriers, using existing data across USDA and pre-filled applications, USDAs Farm Service Agency in cooperation with the Risk Management Agency has been able to expediently provide economic relief and save producers and staff over a million hours of time.
Emergency Relief Payments to Date
ERP Data Now Available Online
A new public-facing dashboard on the ERP webpage has information on ERP payments that can be sorted by crop type specialty or non-specialty, specific commodities and state. FSA will update the dashboard on Monday each week.
More Information
For more information on ERP and ELRP eligibility, program provisions for historically underserved producers as well as Frequently Asked Questions, producers can visit FSAs Emergency Relief webpage.
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Farmers Asked To Share Fsa Experiences To Defend Farmer Debt Relief
NFFC NFFC Weighs In
The Federation of Southern Cooperatives is seeking declarations from farmers and ranchers of color who have experienced discrimination at the USDAs Farm Services Agency, and from white farmers who have observed discrimination at FSA, over the past 10 to 15 years. Farmers willing to provide declarations are asked to contact Dãnia Davyat [email protected] by June 24th, 2022.
The National Family Farm Coalition fully supports the recent decision by the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit to grant The Federation of Southern Cooperatives motion to intervene in the Miller v. Vilsack lawsuit, providing their farmer members the opportunity to join the class action lawsuit as a defendant. The lawsuit, filed by five white Texas farmers against the US Department of Agriculture , seeks to dismantle the debt relief program for socially disadvantaged farmers under Section 1005 of the American Rescue Plan of 2021. The lawsuit asserts that the program violates their constitutional right to equal protection i.e., that the relief program discriminates against white farmers in a form of reverse racism. The USDA has been blocked from distributing any funds under Section 1005 due to a preliminary injunction.
Usda Offers Additional Assistance For Certain Producers Through Coronavirus Food Assistance Program
Washington, D.C., January 15, 2021 U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture will provide additional assistance through the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program , expanding eligibility for some agricultural producers and commodities as well as updating payments to accurately compensate some producers who already applied for the program. Producers who are now eligible and those who need to modify existing applications due to these updates can contact USDAs Farm Service Agency between Jan. 19 and Feb. 26. Some of these changes are being made to align with the recently enacted Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 while others are discretionary changes being made in response to ongoing evaluation of CFAP.
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May Margin Triggers Dairy Margin Coverage Program Payment
WASHINGTON, July 7, 2020 The U.S. Department of Agricultures Farm Service Agency today announced that the May 2020 income over feed cost margin was $5.37 per hundredweight , triggering the third payment of 2020 for dairy producers who purchased the appropriate level of coverage under the Dairy Margin Coverage program.
Usda Announces Reassignments Of Fiscal Year 2020 Domestic Marketing Allocations And Increases To Fiscal Year 2020 Raw And Refined Sugar Tariff
WASHINGTON, April 1, 2020 The U.S. Department of Agriculture today announced several actions regarding sugar: 1) a reassignment of projected fiscal year 2020 surplus beet sugar marketing allocations among beet sugar processors, with a consequent reassignment of 750,000 short tons, raw value to raw cane sugar imports already anticipated 2) a reassignment of 550,000 STRV of projected FY 2020 surplus cane sugar allocations to raw cane sugar imports, of which 200,000 STRV is reassigned to raw cane sugar imports already anticipated, and 350,000 STRV is applied toward an increase in the FY 2020 tariff-rate quota for raw cane sugar 3) an increase in the FY 2020 refined sugar TRQ of 200,000 STRV and 4) an increase in the FY 2020 raw sugar TRQ of 350,000 STRV . These actions are effective April 2, 2020.
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Usda Adds Digital Options For Farmers And Ranchers To Apply For Coronavirus Food Assistance Program
WASHINGTON, June 25, 2020 USDAs Farm Service Agency will now accept applications for the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program through an online portal, expanding the options available to producers to apply for this program, which helps offset price declines and additional marketing costs because of the coronavirus pandemic. FSA is also leveraging commercial document storage and e-signature solutions to enable producers to work with local service center staff to complete their applications from home.
Racial Equity Adviser Sees Progress At Usda
USDA has made strides in helping farmers of color over the past year, according to the agencys senior equity official.
Millions of dollars have flowed from new and existing programs in an effort to address the effects of historical discrimination.
Since Day One of the Biden-Harris administration, USDA has committed itself to building back better for historically underserved communities, said Dewayne Goldmon, USDAs senior adviser for racial justice and equity.
Dewayne Goldmon
Goldmons position was created last March as part of the Biden administrations focus on racial issues.
Goldmon is a former executive director of the National Black Growers Council and farms 1,400 acres of corn, soybeans and rice in Arkansas.
He holds a doctorate in agronomy from Iowa State University and retired in 2019 from a long career at Monsanto, mostly spent in research and development.
Goldmon recently answered Lancaster Farmings questions by email.
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Black Farmers Say Inflation Reduction Act Reneges On Promises For Debt Relief
Lester Bonner, a tobacco farmer in Virginia, opened his mailbox one morning last June to find a letter from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The five-page missive said the remaining balance on a $50,000 federal loan he’d received to help him buy his farm would soon be wiped clean.
“It was going to release the greatest burden of my life,” Bonner, 75, told CBS MoneyWatch. “That’s what’s been setting me back this whole time.”
It’s been more than a year since Bonner, who is Black, got that letter from the USDA, but his loan still hasn’t been forgiven. Now he believes it will never be erased.
Thousands of others in Bonner’s shoes are also questioning if they will ever see any debt relief, according to a national group of Black farmers. That’s because a provision in the Inflation Reduction Act which President Biden signed into law on Tuesday has significantly reduced the amount of funds allocated to farmers for debt relief. The law also removed wording that specifically carved out money for Black farmers to erase their USDA loans.
Yet the loan-forgiveness program has been removed from the inflation measure before any dollars could reach farmers like Bonner.
The revised Inflation Reduction Act provides $3.1 billion to “distressed borrowers” and another $2.2 billion to farmers who have “experienced discrimination” from the USDA, while removing race as a criterion for eligibility.
