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FSA Offices Will Increase Worker Capacity

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Starting Monday, Farm Service Agency offices will be allowed to operate at 50 percent worker capacity. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the Biden Administration previously limited offices to 25 percent worker capacity. The White House is making an exception for Farm Production and Conservation offices to better serve farmers ahead of the planting season. FSA is also exploring ways to re-engage farmers for appointments. Many offices still are meeting with farmers over the phone or via e-mail.

More Farm Program Funds Needed

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After securing an additional $1.5 billion to fund the WHIP+ and the Quality Loss Adjustment programs in 2020, North Dakota Senator John Hoeven says the Farm Service Agency needs more money. Hoeven recently met with Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.
 
“The secretary didn’t commit to saying we’ll get the money, but he did commit to working with us. It’s frustrating because we already addressed this once and we need to keep it moving,” said Hoeven.
 
FSA needs anywhere from $300 million to another $1.5 billion, according to Hoeven. The remaining half of the 2019 WHIP+ program payments could be at risk. To secure more funds, options include the appropriations process or using other sources at the USDA.

Dry Bean Scene

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The Quality Loss Adjustment Program deadline has been extended to April 9. Farm Service Agency Administrator Steve Peterson says the agency is working through documentation clarifications. Learn more in the Dry Bean Scene on the Red River Farm Network, made possible by the Northarvest Bean Growers Association.

ARC/PLC Signup Ends Monday

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Farmers have until Monday, March 15 to complete their elections and enrollment for this year’s Agriculture Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage programs. Currently, 48,000 North Dakota farms are enrolled, which is about 80 percent of expected participation. In Minnesota, more than 86,000 farms have enrolled which is about 86 percent of expected participation. Farmers who enrolled for the 2019 crop year received more than $5 billion in payments last fall. The ARC/PLC program deadline is Monday, March 15.

QLA Program Signup Period Extended

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USDA has extended the Quality Loss Adjustment program enrollment deadline to Friday, April 9th. The original deadline was set for today. At this point, more than 8,100 applications have been filed. Payments will be made after the application period ends. Listen to an exclusive Red River Farm Network interview with USDA Farm Service Agency Associate Administrator Steve Peterson.

Quality Loss Adjustment Webinar to be Held

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Producers who intend to apply for assistance through the Quality Loss Adjustment (QLA) Program will have an opportunity to learn about the program during a webinar that North Dakota State University Extension and the Farm Service Agency (FSA) are hosting on Wednesday, February 10, at 11 a.m. Central Time.
 
On January 6, the FSA started accepting applications for QLA, which provides assistance to producers who suffered eligible crop quality losses due to natural disasters occurring in 2018 and 2019. The deadline to apply for QLA is Friday, March 5.
 
The webinar will provide guidance for producers on the application process, along with the following topics that will be discussed:
  • Eligible crops
  • Qualifying disaster events
  • Applying for QLA
  • Payment calculations and limitations
  • Future insurance coverage requirements
Register for the webinar and get more information on the QLA program.

2020 ARC/PLC Enrollment Open Until June 30

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Agricultural producers who have not yet enrolled in the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) or Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs for 2020 must do so by June 30. Although program elections for the 2020 crop year remain the same as elections made for 2019, all producers need to contact their local USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) office to sign a 2020 enrollment contract.
 
To date, more than 1.4 million ARC and PLC contracts have been signed for the 2020 crop year. This represents 89 percent of expected enrollment.
 
Producers who do not complete enrollment by close of business local time on Tuesday, June 30 will not be enrolled in ARC or PLC for the 2020 crop year and will be ineligible to receive a payment should one trigger for an eligible crop.
 
ARC and PLC contracts can be mailed or emailed to producers for signature depending on producer preference. Signed contracts can be mailed or emailed back to FSA or, arrangements can be made in advance with FSA to drop off signed contracts at the FSA county office – call ahead for local drop off and other options available for submitting signed contracts electronically.

ND FSA Offices Open for In-Person Appointments

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North Dakota USDA Service Centers (Farm Service Agency and Natural Resource Conservation Service) may now conduct business in person in the office by appointment only. Visitors will be pre-screened based on health concerns or recent travel and must adhere to social distancing guidelines. Visitors are encouraged to wear a face covering during their appointments and must call ahead and schedule an appointment.
 
Online services are still available to customers, including the new Box and OneSpan functionality that enable customers to sign and share FSA and NRCS documents with USDA Service Center staff in just a few clicks. Producers can get started with a simple username and password for Box or, for OneSpan, a quick identity verification. Additional services are available to customers with an eAuth account, which provides access to the farmers.gov portal where producers can view USDA farm loan information and payments and view and track certain USDA program applications and payments. Through the FSA website, customers can access certain FSA programs and view FSA data, including maps, on FSAfarm+. Customers who do not already have an eAuth account can enroll at farmers.gov/sign-in. 

Record Prevent Plant Acreage

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The Farm Service Agency is estimating 2019 prevent plant acreage at a record 19.6 million acres. That compares to the previous record of just under 11 million acres in 2011. South Dakota leads the nation with nearly 4 million acres of PP. Illinois and Ohio each had about 1.5 million acres reported as prevented plant. Minnesota has nearly 1.2 million; Indiana has 943,000 acres and North Dakota has 319,000 acres in PP.

First Round of MFP 2.0 Payments Being Processed

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Farmers should start receiving the first round of Market Facilitation Program payments very soon. According to USDA Farm Service Agency Administrator Richard Fordyce, the payment process began Wednesday for farmers with approved applications. “Over 200,000 applications have been received since sign up began on July 29,” says Fordyce.

Farmers should expect to see up to $14.5 billion in payments. The first tranche covers 50 percent of that amount. The second and third payments of 25 percent each will depend on conditions at the time. “We’ll look at if there has been movement in trade negotiations in late fall. If not, then we’ll look at it again in January.” The MFP 2.0 application deadline is December 6.