USDA Update

By Rod Johnson

December 3, 2004

I continue to get questions on when we will be making payments for the 2003/2004 Crop Disaster Program. No definite announcements have been made on just when we will begin taking sign-up but March 2005 has been mentioned as a possibility. We will keep you posted.

The Kiowa County FSA Office will be making the first round of Direct Payments for the 2005 year for producers who have signed up and requested payments before the end of the year. If you want your 2005 payments issued in December, please sign-up for the program no later than December 15. With the Christmas and New Years Holidays on Friday, December 24 and Friday December 31, and with several employees scheduled for leave, it will be very difficult to get payments issued the last two weeks of the year.

December 8, 2004 is the final date for producers and the public to comment on the Conservation Reserve Program. If you have ideas on the future of CRP now is the time to make your thoughts known. A request for public comment on CRP was published in the Federal Register on August 10, 2004. Beginning in 2007, 16 million acres under CRP contract will expire. Another 6 million acres will follow in 2008, 4 million in 2009 and 2 million in 2010.

Among other issues, FSA is seeking public comment on the following topics: (1) How to manage the large acreage subject to expiring CRP contracts; (2) How to manage future CRP sign-ups and acreage; (3) How to evaluate the program’s environmental effectiveness; (4) How to better utilize information technology such as Geographic Information Systems that evaluate acreage for enrollment; and (5) How to improve CRP, including the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program, through partnerships that better address local environmental issues.

More detailed information on the CRP is available at local FSA offices and on FSA’s Web site at: www.fsa.usda.gov/dafp/cepd/crpinfo.htm

The Federal Register notice seeking public comment on the CRP is available on FSA’s Web site at www.fsa.usda.gov. Comments on the issues must be received in writing by December 8, 2004. Comments may be submitted in writing or electronically via the means provided in the notice.

Further information on the Federal Register notice is available from Beverly Preston, CRP Program Manager, at USDA/FSA/CEPD/STOP 0513, 1400 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, D.C., 20250-0513; telephone 202-720-9563; email: beverly_preston@wdc.usda.gov

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication (braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact the USDA Target Center at 202-720-2600 (voice and TDD).

The interest rate for crop loans disbursed in December is 3.375 percent per annum. Farm storage facility loans approved in December have an interest rate of 3.750 percent.

Telephone 719-438-5851 FSA (Ext 2), NRCS (Ext 3). E-mail individuals firstname.lastname@ co.usda.gov (Example rod.johnson@co.usda.gov, walt.immer, nadene.gaynor, dawna.weirich, charla.ferris, marvin.watson, marlin.miller, brett.jones) Kiowa County FSA Web Site – http://www.fsa.usda.gov/co/County%20Webs/Kiowa_county.htm