agriculture commissioner

Voting Begins for 2019 FSA County Committee Elections

Dan General, Industry News Release

Eligible Voters to Receive Ballots Week of Nov. 4 (USDA/FSA) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will begin mailing ballots on November 4 to eligible farmers and ranchers across the country for the Farm Service Agency (FSA) county committee elections. “Our county committee members play a key role in our efforts to provide assistance to producers,” said FSA Administrator …

budget

First Round of MFP Payments Underway

Dan Economy

The process for the first round of Market Facilitation Program (MFP) payments is underway. Farm Service Agency Director Richard Fordyce says the first payments have been mailed out. Round one of the three potential payments is 50 percent of the overall amount farmers may receive. Fordyce says expects up to $14.5 billion of payments will be sent to farmers, pending the trade negotiation …

agriculture

USDA May Call Back Some Employees

Dan Economy

USDA may call back many Farm Service Agency (FSA) county office workers to process farm loans and other applications, deeming those employees as “essential,” according to American Farm Bureau officials. The White House has already okayed key government services including food stamp benefits and tax refunds during the partial shutdown that affects USDA, the IRS and other departments and agencies. …

conservation

USDA Disaster Assistance and Hurricane Recovery Workshops

Dan Florida, Industry News Release, USDA-NRCS

Representatives from USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Farm Service Agency (FSA), Rural Development (RD) and Risk Management Agency (RMA) will present disaster assistance information for agricultural producers. Workshop topics include emergency assistance for livestock & crop-related expenses and losses; financial assistance programs to help with farm and farmland damage; deadlines for applying for disaster assistance programs and programs to help with restoration and rehabilitation of farm and …

grain

Georgia FSA/UGA Extension Grower Trainings

Dan Cotton, Georgia, Industry News Release

U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Farm Service Agency is partnering with University of Georgia (UGA) Extension to conduct trainings for Georgia cotton growers in September throughout the state to update producers on WHIP, Seed Cotton, TAP changes, and the Market Facilitation Program. Dates, UPDATED times and locations are below: Monday, September 10 Bainbridge 9:00-10:30 a.m. Cloud Livestock Facility 1300 E. …

administrative

Administrative Changes Made to the Livestock Indemnity Program

Dan Cattle, Economy, Industry News Release, Livestock

Agricultural producers who have lost livestock to disease, resulting from a weather disaster, have an additional way to become eligible for a key U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) disaster assistance program. USDA Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation Bill Northey announced an administrative clarification nationwide to the Livestock Indemnity Program. In the event of disease, this change by USDA’s Farm …

dairy producers

Dairy Producers Reminded of December 15 Deadline

Dan Dairy, Industry News Release

USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) reminds dairy producers that December 15, 2017 is the deadline to enroll for 2018 coverage in the Margin Protection Program (MPP-Dairy).  Additional flexibility was added this year which provides dairy producers the option of opting out of the program for 2018. In order to opt out, a producer should not sign up during the annual registration …

georgia counties

FSA County Election Deadline Looming

Dan Industry News Release

The deadline to return Farm Service Agency county committee election ballots is approaching. The Department of Agriculture says eligible producers must return the ballots to their local FSA office, or be postmarked by December 4th, 2017, to ensure their votes are counted. FSA acting administrator Steve Peterson says approximately 1.5 million producers are eligible to vote in this year’s election, …