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Agricultural producers can now change election and enroll in the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage programs for the 2023 crop year, two key safety net programs offered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Signup began Monday, and producers have until March 15, 2023, to enroll in these two programs. Additionally, USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) has started issuing payments totaling more than $255 million to producers with 2021 crops that have triggered payments through ARC or PLC.
2023 Elections and Enrollment
Producers can elect coverage and enroll in ARC-County (ARC-CO) or PLC, which provide crop-by-crop protection, or ARC-Individual (ARC-IC), which protects the entire farm. Although election changes for 2023 are optional, producers must enroll through a signed contract each year. Also, if a producer has a multi-year contract on the farm and makes an election change for 2023, they must sign a new contract.
If producers do not submit their election by the March 15, 2023 deadline, their election remains the same as their 2022 election for crops on the farm. Farm owners cannot enroll in either program unless they have a share interest in the farm.
Covered commodities include barley, canola, large and small chickpeas, corn, crambe, flaxseed, grain sorghum, lentils, mustard seed, oats, peanuts, dry peas, rapeseed, long grain rice, medium and short grain rice, safflower seed, seed cotton, sesame, soybeans, sunflower seed and wheat.
Web-Based Decision Tools
In partnership with USDA, the University of Illinois and Texas A&M University offer web-based decision tools to assist producers in making informed, educated decisions using crop data specific to their respective farming operations. Tools include:
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Gardner-farmdoc Payment Calculator, a tool available through the University of Illinois allows producers to estimate payments for farms and counties for ARC-CO and PLC.
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ARC and PLC Decision Tool, a tool available through Texas A&M that allows producers to obtain basic information regarding the decision and factors that should be taken into consideration such as future commodity prices and historic yields to estimate payments for 2022.
2021 Payments and Contracts
ARC and PLC payments for a given crop year are paid out the following fall to allow actual county yields and the Market Year Average prices to be finalized. This month, FSA processed payments to producers enrolled in 2021 ARC-CO, ARC-IC and PLC for covered commodities that triggered for the crop year.
For ARC-CO, producers can view the 2021 ARC-CO Benchmark Yields and Revenues online database, for payment rates applicable to their county and each covered commodity. For PLC, payments have triggered for rapeseed and peanuts.
For ARC-IC, producers should contact their local FSA office for additional information pertaining to 2021 payment information, which relies on producer-specific yields for the crop and farm to determine benchmark yields and actual year yields when calculating revenues.
By the Numbers
In 2021, producers signed nearly 1.8 million ARC or PLC contracts, and 251 million out of 273 million base acres were enrolled in the programs. For the 2022 crop year signed contracts surpassed 1.8 million, to be paid in the fall of 2023, if a payment triggers.
Since ARC and PLC were first authorized by the 2014 Farm Bill and reauthorized by the 2018 Farm Bill, these safety-net programs have paid out more than $34.9 billion to producers of covered commodities.
Crop Insurance Considerations
ARC and PLC are part of a broader safety net provided by USDA, which also includes crop insurance and marketing assistance loans.
Producers are reminded that ARC and PLC elections and enrollments can impact eligibility for some crop insurance products.
Producers on farms with a PLC election have the option of purchasing Supplemental Coverage Option (SCO) through their Approved Insurance Provider; however, producers on farms where ARC is the election are ineligible for SCO on their planted acres for that crop on that farm.
Unlike SCO, the Enhanced Coverage Option (ECO) is unaffected by an ARC election. Producers may add ECO regardless of the farm program election.
Upland cotton farmers who choose to enroll seed cotton base acres in ARC or PLC are ineligible for the stacked income protection plan (STAX) on their planted cotton acres for that farm.
More Information
For more information on ARC and PLC, visit the ARC and PLC webpage or contact your local USDA Service Center.
Voting is now open for the USDA’s Farm Service Agency’s (FSA) Perry County Committee.
It is important that every eligible producer participate in these elections because FSA county committees are a link between the agricultural community and the USDA. The 2022 election in Perry County will be conducted for the representative for Local Administrative Area (LAA): LAA 2 which consists of the Bois Brule, Salem, and Brazeau Townships.
County committee members are a critical component of FSA operations. Committees should be comprised of members who reflect the diversity of producers involved in production agriculture in Perry County. This means that producers representing underserved groups or communities should be on the committee to speak on behalf of their constituency.
Underserved producers are beginning, women and other minority farmers and ranchers and landowners and/or operators who have limited resources. Other minority groups including Native American and Alaska Natives; persons under the poverty level, and persons that have disabilities are also considered underserved.
County committee election ballots were mailed to eligible voters beginning Nov. 7, 2022. The last day to return completed ballots to the Perry County USDA Service Center is Dec. 5, 2022.
For more information on eligibility to serve on FSA county committees, visit: fsa.usda.gov/elections.
Alan Verseman is nominated in LAA 2, Perry County, to serve as COC member for a 3-year term beginning January 1, 2023. Alan resides in LAA 2 and is a retired dairy farmer. Alan is willing to serve if elected.
The Farm Service Agency (FSA) assists beginning farmers to finance agricultural enterprises. Under these designated farm loan programs, FSA can provide financing to eligible applicants through either direct or guaranteed loans. FSA defines a beginning farmer as a person who:
- Has operated a farm for not more than 10 years
- Will materially and substantially participate in the operation of the farm
- Agrees to participate in a loan assessment, borrower training and financial management program sponsored by FSA
- Does not own a farm in excess of 30 percent of the county’s average size farm.
For more information contact, contact your Perry County USDA Service Center at 573-547-6531 or visit fsa.usda.gov.
USDA has several fiscal year 2023 assistance opportunities for agricultural producers and private landowners for key programs, such as the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP), and Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP).
Through these conservation programs, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) provides technical and financial assistance to help producers and landowners make conservation improvements on their land that benefit natural resources, build resiliency and contribute to the nation’s broader effort to combat the impacts of climate change.
Applying for Assistance
NRCS accepts applications for its conservation programs year-round, however, to be considered for financial assistance in 2023 applications must be submitted by November 18, 2022. State Technical Committees, composed of representatives from conservation and agricultural-related organizations, work with NRCS to set state-specific, ranking dates to evaluate applications for funding. These dates account for producer needs, staff workload and ensure potential participants have ample opportunity to apply. Producers should apply by November 18th to be considered for funding in the current cycle.
Funding is provided through a competitive process. Applications received after ranking dates will be automatically deferred to the next funding period.
Program Options
EQIP provides cost share assistance for producers to use 170-plus conservation practices to address a wide variety of resource concerns. Within EQIP, Conservation Incentive Contracts allow producers to further target priority resource concerns. CSP helps producers take their conservation activities to the next level through comprehensive conservation and advanced conservation activities. ACEP helps producers enroll wetlands, grasslands and farmlands into easements for long-term protection. Additionally, through RCPP, producers and landowners can work with partners who are co-investing with NRCS on targeted projects.
Historically Underserved Producer Benefits
Special provisions are also available for historically underserved producers. For EQIP, historically underserved producers are eligible for advance payments to help offset costs related to purchasing materials or contracting services up front. In addition, historically underserved producers can receive higher EQIP payment rates (up to 90% of average cost). NRCS sets aside EQIP, CSP and ACEP funds for historically underserved producers.
Conservation Practices and Climate
NRCS conservation programs play a critical role in USDA’s commitment to partnering with farmers, ranchers, forest landowners and local communities to deliver climate solutions that strengthen agricultural operations and rural America. States may prioritize a variety of voluntary conservation practices through these NRCS programs, including those that support climate-smart agriculture and forestry (CSAF).
Producers, landowners and forest managers interested in applying for assistance should contact the NRCS at their local USDA Service Center.
USDA’s Natural Resources Conversation Service (NRCS) and the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) in SE MO are seeking landowners to apply for funding through a Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) project. The project “Restoring Glade & Woodland Communities in the Ozarks of SE MO’ is focused on a ten-county region that contains some of the finest glades and woodlands in the state. Much of this plant community type, though, has grown up over the years with too many trees, especially cedar, due to the removal from the landscape of periodic, intentional prescribed burns. Planned and well executed burning can restore native grasses & wildflowers that in turn support a variety of pollinator and animal species like the Monarch Butterfly and the rare Collared Lizard. In some areas tree thinning or tree clearing is also recommended.
Restoring Glade & Woodland Communities project partner is the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC). This project aims to help the rare plant & animal communities that live in glade & woodland types of habitat typically found throughout the Ozarks on drier, rocky ridgetops and south-facing hillsides.
Glades are in trouble. Historically, glades were kept open by fire. RCPP is a partner-driven approach to conservation that funds solutions to the challenges of bringing back controlled fire to the landscape. By leveraging collective resources and collaborating on common goals, RCPP demonstrates the power of public-private partnerships in delivering results for the conservation of rare & threatened species.
Landowners can participate in awarded RCPP projects by reaching out to their local service centers. NRCS & MDC professionals work with forest landowners to implement conservation plans that help enhance and sustain the use of water, soil and wildlife habitat in targeted project areas.
Applications for funding through this project are being accepted now. Contact your county’s NRCS or MDC office for an application and information on how to apply.
For more information about RCPP, visit the RCPP website.
Producers are encouraged to call their local NRCS office to schedule an appointment to ensure maximum use of their time and to make sure NRCS staff is available to tend to their important business needs. Please call your local NRCS office ahead to set an appointment and to discuss any records or documentation that might be needed during your appointment. To find your local NRCS office, visit: offices.sc.egov.usda.gov/locator/app.
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