By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
DCP program signup deadline approaches
Placeholder Image

Farmers and agricultural landowners have until June 1 to sign up for the 2009 Direct and Counter-cyclical Payment program (DCP).  Agricultural producers and landowners located in Effingham, Bryan and Chatham counties should contact the local Farm Service Agency Office at 203 S. Laurel St. in Springfield on the second floor of the First Effingham Bank Building. The phone number is 754-6664, option 2.

In the past, enrollees could pay a late fee to enroll after the deadline.  A second chance is not offered this year — late-filed 2009 contracts will not be accepted. DCP contracts for 2009 must be completed no later than June 1. No payments will be issued if the farm is not enrolled by June 1.  

FSA computes DCP 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. For 2009, eligible producers may request to receive an advance payment of 22 percent of the direct payment for each commodity associated with the farm.  FSA will issue advance direct payments as soon as practical after enrollment.

Final direct payments will be issued after Oct. 1. Counter-cyclical payments vary depending on market prices, and are issued only when the effective price for a commodity is below its target price (which takes into account the direct payment rate, market price and loan rate).  

For all eligibility requirements or additional information, contact your local FSA office.

Extending buy-in waiver for those impacted by 2008 natural disasters
The recently approved American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) allows producers to become eligible for 2008 disaster assistance authorized by the 2008 Farm Bill even if they did not previously obtain otherwise statutorily required crop insurance from the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) or Non-insured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) coverage for 2008 by paying a buy-in fee through May 18.

Paying such a buy-in fee does not provide the producer with crop insurance or NAP for the 2008 crop year; it merely permits the producer to become eligible for the 2008-crop disaster assistance programs.

Producers who have not already taken the necessary steps to become eligible for the Supplemental Revenue Assistance Program (SURE), and the Emergency Assistance for Livestock Program (ELAP) may now become eligible for such programs by completing the following steps by May 18.

Paying a $100 buy-in fee per crop.  The maximum fee for insurable or non-insurable crops is $300 per county, per producer, not to exceed $900 for multi-county producers.

In the case of each insurable crop (those for which insurance is available from FCIC), excluding grazing land, agreeing to obtain a policy or plan of insurance for the next insurance year for which crop insurance is available; coverage level should equal 70 percent or more of the yield at 100 percent of the price.

In the case of each non-insurable crop, agreeing to file the required paperwork and pay the applicable administrative NAP coverage fee by the applicable state application closing date for the next available year.

Producers who choose to buy-in under this provision will be considered, for insured crops for the 2008 Farm Bill disaster assistance programs only, to have obtained a policy or plan of insurance for the 2008 crop year at a level of coverage not to exceed 70 percent of the yield at 100 percent of the price. For non-insurable crops for the 2008 Farm Bill disaster programs only, producers will be considered to have a level of coverage equal to 70 percent of the yield. These levels of coverage will be used to calculate the 2008 SURE guarantee.  Producers who buy-in will not be eligible for actual crop insurance or NAP benefits for the 2008 crop.

Producers who meet the definition of “socially disadvantaged, limited resource,” or “beginning farmer or rancher,” must complete the required paperwork to buy-in, but are not required to pay the buy-in fee.