payments

USDA to Begin Payments for Producers Impacted by 2018 – 19 Natural Disasters

Dan Agri-Business, Economy, USDA-FSA

Producers to Receive Assistance through the Quality Loss Adjustment Program and Additional Assistance through the Wildfire and Hurricane Indemnity Program Plus More than $1 billion in payments will be released over the next several weeks starting June 15 for agricultural producers with approved applications for the Quality Loss Adjustment (QLA) Program and for producers who have already received payments through …

grants

ELAP Now Includes Farm-Raised Catfish

Dan Alabama, Aquaculture, USDA-FSA

Aquaculture producers in Alabama now have access to disaster relief funding in the event of a federal disaster declaration. June 1 is when USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) began a policy change to the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honey Bees and Farm-raised Fish Program (ELAP). According to the Alabama Cooperative Extension System (ACES), the update makes fish raised for food and other aquatic species …

climate benefits

USDA Announces New Initiative to Quantify Climate Benefits of CRP

Dan Conservation, Environment, USDA-FSA

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) announced this week an initiative to quantify the climate benefits of Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) contracts. The multi-year effort will enable USDA to better target CRP toward climate outcomes and improve existing models and conservation planning tools while supporting USDA’s goal of putting American agriculture and forestry at the center of climate-smart …

black farmers

USDA Announces Plan for Black Farmer Payments

Dan Economy, USDA-FSA

The USDA says it plans to make debt relief available to Black farmers. The announcement came one day before Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack participated in a roundtable discussion with Black farmers in Georgia. A spokesman says Vilsack will be traveling to other states to discuss the plan in the weeks ahead. Late last week, the Farm Service Agency published the …

underserved producers

USDA Programs Designed to Help Various Producers

Dan USDA-FSA

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) wants to remind producers the American Rescue Plan includes provisions for USDA to pay up to 120% of loan balances, as of January 1, 2021, for Farm Service Agency (FSA) Direct and Guaranteed Farm Loans and Farm Storage Facility Loans debt relief to any socially disadvantaged producer who has a qualifying loan with FSA. In the …

Local Working Group

Vilsack Discusses History of Discrimination by the USDA

Dan Labor and Immigration, USDA, USDA-FSA

During that hearing, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack told lawmakers, “We will over the next four years do everything we can to root out whatever systemic racism and barriers that may exist at the Department of Agriculture.” In a recent interview with Southeast AgNet, Vilsack explained what they are looking at. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) wants producers to know …

PRODUCERS

After Identifying Gaps in Previous Aid, USDA Announces ‘Pandemic Assistance for Producers’ to Distribute Resources More Equitably

Dan Coronavirus, News from Our Sponsors, USDA-FSA

USDA Reopens Program Sign-Up to a Larger Share of Producers with Plans to Expand Outreach and New Programming (USDA/FSA) — Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that USDA is establishing new programs and efforts to bring financial assistance to farmers, ranchers, and producers who felt the impact of COVID-19 market disruptions. The new initiative—USDA Pandemic Assistance for Producers—will reach a broader set of …

conservation

USDA Delays Signup for CRP Grasslands

Dan Cattle, Conservation, Dairy, Environment, Equine, Livestock, Pasture, Sheep-Goats, USDA-FSA

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced they are postponing the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) Grasslands signup. While the original date to start this signup was mid-March, USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) will announce new signup dates in the coming weeks. The Biden Administration is currently evaluating the program and looking at ways to increase enrollment. CRP Grasslands was …

crop year

Enrollment for ARC and PLC Programs Ends Monday

Dan Conservation, Environment, USDA-FSA

Agricultural producers who have not yet enrolled in the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) or Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs for 2021 must do so by March 15. Producers who have not yet signed a 2021 enrollment contract or who want to make an election change need to contact their local USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) office to make an appointment. …

stop-gap

Disaster Assistance Programs for Citrus

Dan Citrus, Economy, USDA-FSA

Two disaster assistance programs available to citrus growers were discussed during the virtual 2021 Louisiana State University AgCenter Citrus Symposium. The Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) and the Tree Assistance Program (TAP) are both offered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Services Agency (USDA-FSA). Jamie Rodreguez, a USDA-FSA county executive director in Louisiana, made the presentation. Rodreguez said …