By JANE HOUIN
Ohio Correspondent Columbus, Ohio — After the rush of the planting season, Ohio’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) wants to remind farmers their work is not done.
State Executive FSA Director John Stevenson reminds producers that acreage reporting requirements must be met prior to receiving program benefits. Filing an accurate acreage report for all crops and land uses, including failed acreage and prevented planting acreage, can prevent the loss of benefits for a variety of programs.
“Producers are required to file an FSA-578, “Report of Acreage,” certification for the farm by the June 30 deadline for small grains, and by July 15 for all other crops except small grains,” he said.
Acreage reports on crops are due in the county office by the earlier of either those deadlines or 15 calendar days before the onset of harvest or grazing of the specific crop acreage being reported.
“The Farm Service Agency provides federal program benefits to Ohio’s farmers and producers in terms of loans for operating and land purchase, commodity price supports, disaster relief, emergency assistance, conservation and other needed agricultural support efforts,” Stevenson said. “FSA also fosters good land stewardship, which will help preserve our agricultural land for generations to come.”
Stevenson also reminds farmers it is important to report crop losses, including those insured under Federal Crop Insurance (FCIC) and Non-insured Assistance Program (NAP) within 15 days of the date damage occurred or 15 days from the date damage is apparent. Losses or damages to crops must be reported after each disaster occurrence and in a timely manner to ensure continued eligibility for benefits.
Producers are encouraged to visit their local FSA county office to file the required FSA-578 certification report before the deadline dates expire.
Additionally, at the end of last month, President Bush signed into law the “U.S. Troop Readiness, Veterans’ Care, Katrina Recovery and Iraq Accountabil-ity Appropriations Act, 2007.” This provides approximately $3 billion in agricultural disaster aid for America’s farmers and ranchers.
This aid will cover crop losses, livestock and feed losses, emergency conservation practices and dairy losses.
The act also extends the Emergency Forestry Conservation Reserve Program (EFCRP) and the Milk Income Loss Contract (MILC) program.
Ohio producers may be eligible for this new aid if their county was declared a disaster area by the President or Secretary of Agriculture for disasters occurring between Jan. 1, 2005, and Feb. 28, 2007, for livestock. A disaster designation map is available online at www.fsa.usda.gov
Crop producers may be also eligible if they experienced a loss of 35 percent or more, or if they had crop insurance coverage under the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program.
This farm news was published in the June 20, 2007 issue of Farm World, serving Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan and Tennessee. |
