In This Issue:
 The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced that agricultural producers can now enroll in the Farm Service Agency’s (FSA) Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs for the 2024 crop year. Producers can enroll and make election changes for the 2024 crop year starting Dec. 18, 2023. The deadline to complete enrollment and any election change is March 15, 2024.
Click here for more information: https://www.fsa.usda.gov/state-offices/New-Jersey/news-releases/2023/agriculture-risk-coverage-and-price-loss-coverage-programs-receive-2018-farm-bill-one-year-extension-farmers-can-now-enroll-for-the-2024-crop-year
 The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reminds specialty crop growers that assistance is available for producers who incur eligible on-farm food safety program expenses to obtain or renew a food safety certification through the Food Safety Certification for Specialty Crops (FSCSC) program. Producers can apply for assistance on their calendar year 2023 expenses through Jan. 31, 2024.
More here: https://www.fsa.usda.gov/state-offices/New-Jersey/news-releases/2023/usda-reminds-specialty-crop-growers-of-deadline-to-apply-for-assistance-for-2023-on-farm-food-safety-expenses
 The U. S Department of Agriculture (USDA) will provide more than $3 billion to commodity and specialty crop producers impacted by natural disaster events in 2022. Eligible impacted producers can apply for financial assistance through the Emergency Relief Program (ERP) 2022. The program will help offset the financial impacts of crop yield and value losses from qualifying disasters occurring in 2022.
ERP 2022 covers losses to crops, trees, bushes and vines due to qualifying, calendar year 2022 natural disaster events including wildfires, hurricanes, floods, derechos, excessive heat, tornadoes, winter storms, freeze (including a polar vortex), smoke exposure, excessive moisture, qualifying drought and related conditions.
AS NOTED ON YOUR APPLICATON, THE PAYMENT AMOUNT ON TRACK 1 APPLICATION RECEIVED IN THE MAIL IS NOT THE FINAL PAYMENT AMOUNT AND WILL BE SUBJECT TO ADJUSTMENTS.
Read more here: https://www.fsa.usda.gov/state-offices/New-Jersey/news-releases/2023/usda-to-provide-more-than-3-billion-to-commodity-and-specialty-crop-producers-impacted-by-2022-natural-disasters-
More Information
ERP 2022 eligibility details and payment calculation factor tables are available on the emergency relief website, in the ERP Track 1 and ERP Track 2 fact sheets and through your local FSA county office.
 The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has launched an online application for Direct Loan customers. More than 26,000 customers who submit a Direct Loan application each year can now use an online, interactive, guided application that is paperless and provides helpful features including an electronic signature option, the ability to attach supporting documents such as tax returns, complete a balance sheet and build a farm operating plan. This tool is part of a broader effort by USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) to streamline its processes, improve customers service, and expand credit access.
Click here to learn more: https://www.fsa.usda.gov/state-offices/New-Jersey/news-releases/2023/usda-now-accepting-applications-for-farm-loans-online-
To use the online loan application tool, producers must establish a USDA customer account and a USDA Level 2 eAuthentication (“eAuth”) account or a Login.gov account.
Apply by March 29, 2024
The USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in New Jersey is now accepting applications from agricultural producers and forest landowners for the classic Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP). Agricultural producers and forest landowners looking to build on conservation efforts while strengthening their operation can apply for technical and financial assistance through CSP and IRA CSP.
Learn more here: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/news/nrcs-new-jersey-announces-conservation-stewardship-program-signup
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has waived certain notice of loss requirements for 2023 for the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-raised Fish (ELAP) and Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP). In an effort to streamline assistance to support access to critical 2023 natural disaster recovery assistance, USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) is waiving the requirement to submit ELAP or LIP notices of loss within a pre-determined number of days for 2023. Instead, producers have the flexibility to submit 2023 notices of loss as soon as possible, once losses are realized, following a natural disaster event or no later than the established annual program application for payment deadlines for each program. FSA county committees are also being asked to re-evaluate 2023 ELAP and LIP late-filed notices of loss to determine if the waiver applies.
- Producers who incurred ELAP-eligible losses in 2023, will need to submit a notice of loss by Jan. 30, 2024.
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The LIP payment application and notice of loss deadline is Feb. 29, 2024, for the 2023 program year.
Learn more here: https://www.fsa.usda.gov/state-offices/New-Jersey/news-releases/2023/usda-makes-producer-friendly-change-to-2023-notice-of-loss-requirements-for-two-livestock-disaster-assistance-programs
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 The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is hosting two virtual workshops in January for producers to learn about new and expanded livestock risk management products. The “Livestock Roadshow,” hosted by USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA), will highlight policy improvements based on feedback from America’s livestock producers, part of the agency’s broader outreach and education efforts. The Livestock Roadshow virtual sessions are scheduled for January 8 and 17. Learn more, get login information and add to your calendar.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is requesting public input – due by Feb. 16, 2024 – on how foreign filers report agricultural land holdings in the United States. USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) is proposing to update the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act Report form so that reporting can include data on long-term lessees, data to assess the impacts of foreign investment on agricultural producers and rural communities, and to gather geospatial information. These updates to the form will help FSA in the collection of data as it administers the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act of 1978 (AFIDA).
More information is available here: https://www.fsa.usda.gov/news-room/news-releases/2023/usda-requests-public-input-on-reporting-for-foreign-agriculture-land-holdings
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