Farm Bill deadlines approaching for Montana farmers

Press release

BOZEMAN — U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency State Executive Director Bruce Nelson reminded producers of upcoming important deadlines for the new safety-net programs established by the 2014 Farm Bill, known as Agriculture Risk Coverage, or ARC, and Price Loss Coverage, or PLC. The final day to update yield history or reallocate base acres is Friday, Feb. 27, and the final day for farm owners and producers to choose coverage is March 31.

“These programs provide financial protection against unexpected changes in the marketplace, so now is the time to have those final conversations, to ask any remaining questions, and to visit the Farm Service Agency to make these decisions,” Nelson said. 

“For the first time in many years, farmers have the opportunity to update yields or reallocate base, but if no changes are made by February 27, the farm’s current yield and base will be used,” Nelson said. “If no program election occurs by March 31, then there will be no 2014 payments for the farm and the farm will default to PLC coverage through the 2018 crop year.”

Nationwide, more than 3,500 training sessions and producer meetings have been conducted on the new safety-net programs, including 140 meetings in Montana. The online tools, available at http://www.fsa.usda.gov/arc-plc, allow producers to explore projections on how ARC or PLC coverage will affect their operation under possible future scenarios.

Covered commodities include barley, canola, large and small chickpeas, corn, crambe, flaxseed, grain sorghum, lentils, mustard seed, oats, peanuts, dry peas, rapeseed, long grain rice, medium grain rice including short grain rice, safflower seed, sesame, soybeans, sunflower seed and wheat.

To learn more, farmers can contact their local Farm Service Agency county office. To find your local office visit http://fsa.usda.gov/mt.