DES MOINES, Iowa — Several key programs etched into the 2008 farm bill have been authorized for extension through 2013, according to the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA).

“Some producers wanted to have the option of not wanting to be in the ACRE (Average Crop Revenue Election Program) contract,” said John Whitaker, Iowa FSA state executive director. “This will give them the option to do that in 2013.”

Under the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008 (the farm bill) for many Commodity Credit Corp. (CCC) commodity, disaster and conservation programs, which the FSA administers, will be extended through the end of this year.

The FSA said the extended programs include: the Direct and Counter-Cyclical Payment Program (DCP), ACRE and the Milk Income Loss Contract Program (MILC). The FSA will begin signups for DCP and ACRE for the 2013 crops on Feb. 19. The DCP signup period will end on Aug. 2 and the ACRE signup will end on June 3.

FSA said 2013 DCP and ACRE program provisions will remain 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),” a Jan. 22 FSA statement read.

”All dairy producers’ MILC contracts are automatically extended to Sept. 30, 2013,” the statement continued. “Eligible producers, therefore, do not need to re-enroll in MILC. Specific details regarding certain modifications to MILC will be released soon.”

FSA will provide producers with information on program requirements, updates and signups as it becomes available, with additional details posted on FSA’s website.

For more information about the programs and loans administered by FSA, visit any FSA county office or go online to www.fsa.usda.gov