USDA - Missouri State Office Newsletter - May 16, 2024.
In This Issue:
FSA accepting offers for both the General and Continuous CRP starting May 12th.
USDA announced several Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) enrollment opportunities for agricultural producers and landowners. USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) is accepting offers for both the General and Continuous CRP May 12, 2025, through June 6, 2025.
CRP, USDA’s flagship conservation program, celebrates its 40th anniversary this year. For four decades, CRP has provided financial and technical support to agricultural producers and landowners who place unproductive or marginal cropland under contract for 10-15 years and who agree to voluntarily convert the land to beneficial vegetative cover to improve water quality, prevent soil erosion and support wildlife habitat. The American Relief Act, 2025, extended provisions for CRP through Sept. 30, 2025.
General CRP (Signup 64)
Agricultural producers and landowners submit offers for General CRP through a competitive bid process. Offers are ranked and scored, by FSA, using nationally established environmental benefits criteria. USDA will announce accepted offers once ranking and scoring for all offers is completed. In addition to annual rental payments, approved General CRP participants may also be eligible for cost-share assistance to establish long-term, resource-conserving vegetative cover.
Continuous CRP (Signup 63)
Unlike General CRP, Continuous CRP offers are not subject to a competitive bid process. To ensure enrolled acres do not exceed the current statutory cap of 27 million acres, FSA is accepting Continuous CRP offers on a first-come, first-served basis through June 6. However, should allotted CRP acreage remain available following the June 6 deadline, FSA will accept continuous CRP offers from interested landowners through July 31, 2025, and may be subsequently considered for acceptance, in batches, if it’s determined that the offered acres support USDA’s conservation priorities.
Continuous CRP participants voluntarily offer environmentally sensitive lands, typically smaller parcels than offered through General CRP including wetlands, riparian buffers, and varying wildlife habitats. In return, they receive annual rental payments and cost-share assistance to establish long-term, resource-conserving vegetative cover.
Continuous CRP enrollment options:
-
State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement Initiative: Restores vital habitat in order to meet high-priority state wildlife conservation goals.
-
Highly Erodible Land Initiative: Producers and landowners can enroll in CRP to establish long-term cover on highly erodible cropland that has a weighted erodibility index greater than or equal to 20.
-
Clean Lakes, Estuaries and Rivers (CLEAR) Initiative: Prioritizes water quality practices on the land that, if enrolled, will help reduce sediment loadings, nutrient loadings, and harmful algal blooms. The vegetative covers also contribute to increased wildlife populations.
-
CLEAR30 (a component of the CLEAR Initiative): Offers additional incentives for water quality practice adoption and can be accessed in 30-year contracts.
-
Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program: Addresses high priority conservation objectives of states and Tribal governments on agricultural lands in specific geographic areas.
Grassland and Expiring CRP Acres
FSA will announce dates for Grassland CRP signup in the near future.
Additionally, landowners with acres enrolled in CRP set to expire Sept. 30, 2025, can offer acres for re-enrollment beginning today. A producer can offer to enroll new acres into CRP and also offer to re-enroll any acres expiring Sept. 30, 2025.
For more information on CRP participant and land eligibility, approved conservation practices and detailed program fact sheets, visit FSA’s CRP webpage.
More Information
Interested producers should apply through the FSA at their local USDA Service Center.
Signed into law in 1985, CRP is one of the largest voluntary private-lands conservation programs in the United States. Originally intended to primarily control soil erosion and potentially stabilize commodity prices by taking marginal lands out of production, the program has evolved over the years, providing many conservation and economic benefits.
|
 Program payments to offset increased input costs, market decline
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, on National Agriculture Day, announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is issuing up to $10 billion directly to agricultural producers through the Emergency Commodity Assistance Program (ECAP) for the 2024 crop year. Administered by USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA), ECAP will help agricultural producers mitigate the impacts of increased input costs and falling commodity prices.
Authorized by the American Relief Act, 2025, these economic relief payments are based on planted and prevented planted crop acres for eligible commodities for the 2024 crop year. To streamline and simplify the delivery of ECAP, FSA will begin sending pre-filled applications to producers who submitted acreage reports to FSA for 2024 eligible ECAP commodities soon after the signup period opens on March 19, 2025. Producers do not have to wait for their pre-filled ECAP application to apply. They can visit fsa.usda.gov/ecap to apply using a login.gov account or contact their local FSA office to request an application once the signup period opens.
Eligible Commodities and Payment Rates
The commodities below are eligible for these per-acre payment rates:
|
· Wheat - $30.69
|
Eligible oilseeds:
|
|
· Corn - $42.91
|
· Canola – $31.83
|
|
· Sorghum - $42.52
|
· Crambe – $19.08
|
|
· Barley - $21.67
|
· Flax - $20.97
|
|
· Oats - $77.66
|
· Mustard - $11.36
|
|
· Upland cotton & Extra-long staple cotton - $84.74
|
· Rapeseed -$23.63
|
|
· Long & medium grain rice - $76.94
|
· Safflower - $26.32
|
|
· Peanuts - $75.51
|
· Sesame - $16.83
|
|
· Soybeans - $29.76
|
· Sunflower – $27.23
|
|
· Dry peas - $16.02
|
|
|
· Lentils - $19.30
|
|
|
· Small Chickpeas - $31.45
|
|
|
· Large Chickpeas - $24.02
|
|
Producer Eligibility
Eligible producers must report 2024 crop year planted and prevented planted acres to FSA on an FSA-578, Report of Acreage form. Producers who have not previously reported 2024 crop year acreage or filed a notice of loss for prevented planted crops must submit an acreage report by the Aug. 15, 2025, deadline. Eligible producers can visit fsa.usda.gov/ecap for eligibility and payment details.
Applying for ECAP
Producers must submit ECAP applications to their local FSA county office by Aug. 15, 2025. Only one application is required for all ECAP eligible commodities nationwide. ECAP applications can be submitted to FSA in-person, electronically using Box and One-Span, by fax or by applying online at fsa.usda.gov/ecap utilizing a secure login.gov account.
If not already on file for the 2024 crop year, producers must have the following forms on file with FSA:
-
Form AD-2047, Customer Data Worksheet.
-
Form CCC-901, Member Information for Legal Entities (if applicable).
-
Form CCC-902, Farm Operating Plan for an individual or legal entity.
- Form CCC 943, 75 percent of Average Gross Income from Farming, Ranching, or Forestry Certification (if applicable).
-
AD-1026, Highly Erodible Land Conservation (HELC) and Wetland Conservation (WC) Certification.
-
SF-3881, Direct Deposit.
Except for the new CCC-943, most producers, especially those who have previously participated in FSA programs, likely have these forms on file. However, those who are uncertain and want to confirm the status of their forms or need to submit the new Form-943, can contact their local FSA county office.
If a producer does not receive a pre-filled ECAP application, and they planted or were prevented from planting ECAP eligible commodities in 2024, they should contact their local FSA office.
ECAP Payments and Calculator
ECAP payments will be issued as applications are approved. Initial ECAP payments will be factored by 85% to ensure that total program payments do not exceed available funding. If additional funds remain, FSA may issue a second payment.
ECAP assistance will be calculated using a flat payment rate for the eligible commodity multiplied by the eligible reported acres. Payments are based on acreage and not production. For acres reported as prevented plant, ECAP assistance will be calculated at 50%.
For ECAP payment estimates, producers are encouraged to visit fsa.usda.gov/ecap to use the ECAP online calculator.
Farm Service Agency (FSA) farm loans are considered progression lending. Unlike loans from a commercial lender, FSA loans are intended to be temporary in nature. Our goal is to help you graduate to commercial credit, and our farm loan staff is available to help borrowers through training and credit counseling.
The FSA team will help borrowers identify their goals to ensure financial success. FSA staff will advise borrowers on developing strategies and a plan to meet your goals and graduate to commercial credit. FSA borrowers are responsible for the success of their farming operation, but FSA staff will help in an advisory role, providing the tools necessary to help you achieve your operational goals and manage your finances.
For more information on FSA farm loan programs, contact your local county USDA Service Center or visit fsa.usda.gov.
MU Extension encourages Missouri farm operators, lenders, appraisers and landowners to help track farmland trends by participating in the 2025 Missouri Farmland Values Opinion Survey. This survey is one of MU Extension’s most widely used resources for insights into land value trends for cropland, pastureland, timberland and recreational/hunting land. Your participation benefits all Missourians and helps MU Extension share regional and county-level land value averages that complement USDA estimates. Farmers, lenders and other stakeholders use this data for farm management decisions that drive economic development across the state.
The 2025 Missouri Farmland Values Opinion Survey is anonymous and easy to complete at https://missouri.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3C8PZJKsJb7gC4m or http://muext.us/landvaluesurvey25- participate by May 18. For questions about the survey, please contact MU Extension economist Juo-Han Tsay at 573-882-3891 or tsayjh@missouri.edu.
Application Deadline for 2024 Crop Year is May 31, 2025
Cotton producers may be eligible for Loan Deficiency Payments (LDP) from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA). LDPs are payments made to producers who, although eligible to obtain a Marketing Assistance Loan, agree to forgo the loan in return for a payment on the eligible commodity. The deadline to apply for an LDP on 2024 crop-year cotton is May 31, 2025.
An LDP triggers when the adjusted world price (AWP) for cotton falls below the loan rate. The loan rate for 2024-crop base quality upland cotton is $0.52 per pound. Extra-long staple cotton is not eligible for LDPs.
For a commodity, in this case upland cotton, to be eligible for an LDP, the producer must have beneficial interest in the commodity, defined as having title, possession and control of the commodity, and is responsible for loss of or damage to the commodity. Producers must have a LDP Agreement and Request, form CCC-633EZ, Page 1 on file with the local FSA office on or before the date of losing beneficial interest in the crop. Page 3 of the CCC-633EZ form must be submitted when payment is requested, but no later than May 31 of the year following the normal harvest.
LDPs are not subject to payment limitations, actively engaged in farming and cash-rent tenant rules; however, adjusted gross income provisions are applicable.
Other eligibility requirements may apply; contact your local County FSA for more information.
Top of page
On April 27, 1935, Congress established the Soil Conservation Service, which would later become the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), as a permanent agency in the U.S. Department of Agriculture. For 90 years, NRCS has helped farmers, ranchers and forestland owners make critical investments in their operations and local communities to keep working lands working and boost agricultural production, while at the same time improving the quality of our air, water, soil, and wildlife habitats.
See our compilation of videos, stories and resources here.
Farm loan borrowers who have pledged real estate as security for their Farm Service Agency (FSA) direct or guaranteed loans are responsible for maintaining loan collateral. Borrowers must obtain prior consent or approval from FSA or the guaranteed lender for any transaction that affects real estate security. These transactions include, but are not limited to:
- Leases of any kind
- Easements of any kind
- Subordinations
- Partial releases
- Sales
Failure to meet or follow the requirements in the loan agreement, promissory note, and other security instruments could lead to nonmonetary default which could jeopardize your current and future loans.
It is critical that borrowers keep an open line of communication with their FSA loan staff or guaranteed lender when it comes to changes in their operation. For more information on borrower responsibilities, read Your FSA Farm Loan Compass.
The Conservation Federation of Missouri seeks a Program Coordinator for the Missouri Native Grasslands Collaborative (MoNGC). The Coordinator will facilitate the implementation of recommendations of the MoNGC based upon input of stakeholders from diverse interest groups and organizations. Interests include prairies, grazing lands, private and public lands, and communities. This job description outlines the expectations and responsibilities for a professional to manage and coordinate the Missouri Native Grasslands Collaborative effectively. It emphasizes strategic planning and facilitating collaborative work across partners while providing flexibility for other tasks as needed.
Position Overview: The Program Coordinator for the MoNGC will be responsible for leading and coordinating efforts to implement strategic recommendations, facilitate meetings, manage communications, and advance the goals of the Collaborative. The role involves close interaction with steering committee members, stakeholders, partners, and contractors to ensure key initiatives' success and support Missouri's native grassland conservation efforts. The desired candidate will have extensive experience in coordinating with diverse partners, forming partnerships and leading initiatives.
The position has been posted on the CFM website. https://confedmo.org/job-openings/ It will be active until May 23rd. Please contact Micaela Haymaker, mhaymaker@confedmo.org or 573-634-2322 ext. 101, with any questions.
Top of page
MISSOURI - USDA
|
|
Service Center Locator
|
|
FARM SERVICE AGENCY (FSA)
601 Business Loop 70 West, Suite 225 Columbia, MO 65203
Phone: 573-876-0925
Fax: 855-830-0680
fsa.usda.gov
State Executive Director
Vacant
Deputy State Executive Director
Jeremy Mosely
|
NATURAL RESOURCE CONSERVATION SERVICE (NRCS)
601 Business Loop 70 West, Suite 250 Columbia, MO 65203
Phone: 573-876-0901
Fax: 855-865-2188
nrcs.usda.gov
State Conservationist
Scott Edwards
|
|
USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.
|
|
