USDA UPDATE

By Rod Johnson

November 7, 2003

Now that fall harvest is wrapping up, producers need to immediately file notice of loss and provide their production records to the FSA Office if non insurable crops (NAP) were disaster affected. Notify your crop insurance agent for insurable crops. Notices of crop loss are to be filed within 15 days after the damage is apparent to the producer. Late filed notices of loss will be acceptable only if verification of all information concerning the crop and disaster is still apparent and a field inspection can determine the cause of loss was disaster related.

Tuesday, November 11, is a day set aside to honor our Veterans, past and present. The FSA and NRCS Offices along with other Federal and State agencies will be closed.

December 1 is the deadline for purchasing 2004 Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance (NAP) coverage for several crops not insured by private agents. This includes native and planted grass, alfalfa, and mixed forage. In June of this year, a copy of all sales closing and other dates applicable to NAP crops was mailed to producers who had purchased NAP coverage for 2003. The cost of NAP coverage is $100 per crop, a maximum of $300 per county or a maximum of $900 in all counties. If a producer pays $300 we will list all crops and native grass that the individual may have in 2004.

Friday, November 21 is the deadline to signup for the 2001/2002 Livestock Assistance Program (LAP). If you want to check your eligibility for this program, contact the FSA Office prior to November 21. It doesn't take too long to work up an application since much of this information is already on file. Producers who received payment in the fall of 2002 under the Livestock Compensation Program or the Cattle Feed Program (dry milk program) will have the amount of these payments subtracted from the payments computed under LAP. Because of this, resulting payments may be small or even zero. We just don't want to miss anybody who may be eligible.

CRP Grazing

Producers who have signed up for managed grazing of Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) grass are reminded that the final date to remove livestock from the acreage is November 12, 2003. Emergency grazing of CRP has not been authorized in Kiowa County and it is not anticipated it will be approved this winter.

The interest rate for commodity loans disbursed in November is 2.250 percent per annum. The interest rate for farm stored facility loans approved in November is 3.625 per annum.