The clock is ticking for many Virginia grain and row crop farmers to decide whether to update their records at their local U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency office.
Under the 2014 Farm Bill, the deadline to update a farm’s yield records or reallocate what crops are grown where on the farm is Feb. 27. The final day to choose coverage under the Agriculture Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage programs is March 31.
The programs provide financial protection against unexpected changes in the marketplace. For the first time in several years farmers have the opportunity to update yields or reallocate base. If no program election occurs by March 31, there will be no 2014 payments for the farm, and the farm will default to PLC through the 2018 crop year.
There are online tools at fsa.usda.gov/arc-plc to help producers explore projections on how ARC or PLC coverage will affect their operations under possible future scenarios. Covered commodities include barley; canola; large and small chickpeas; corn; flaxseed; grain sorghum lentils; mustard seed; oats; peanuts; dry peas; rapeseed; safflower seed; sesame; soybeans; sunflower seed; and wheat. Upland cotton is no longer a covered commodity.
To learn more, contact a local Farm Service Agency office.
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