Emergency Flood Relief – Deferral of Interest Charges on Crop Insurance Premiums
Background Farmers and ranchers are struggling through widespread severe flooding and excess moisture conditions in many parts of the nation, causing catastrophic damage to crops. Concerns have been expressed about the requirement to pay crop insurance premiums timely to avoid accrual of interest because some farmers and ranchers will not yet have received their crop…
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Cover Crop Questions
UPDATE to previous post: Cover Crops Producers affected by natural disasters who filed prevented planting claims then planted an MFP-eligible cover crop, with the potential to be harvested or for subsequent use as forage, qualify for a $15 per acre payment. Acreage of cover crops must be planted by August 1, 2019 to be considered eligible…
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Market Facilitation Update
The fall & spring of 2019 were one of the most challenging in recent history regarding uncertainty in Agriculture Policy. The lobbying effort for the passage of the Farm Bill, the WHIP disaster approval, MFP, cover cropping changes, and trade tariffs has been challenging. Our office has been involved weekly since January on conference calls,…
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Change to Haying & Grazing Date
WASHINGTON, June 20, 2019 – Farmers who planted cover crops on prevented plant acres will be permitted to hay, graze or chop those fields earlier than November this year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced today. USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) adjusted the 2019 final haying and grazing date from November 1 to September…
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Market Facilitation Program Update
There has been way too much chatter and way too many rumors and misinformation about the Market Facilitation Program that was announced. In my previous letter, I noted the timing to be late July early August and I have attached the news release from USDA that confirms and outlines the 2019 MFP. To say the…
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From the President’s Desk
The agency has taken on a leadership role regarding the politics of insurance and has become a valuable resource to our legislators and policymakers. While in Washington D.C. last year, we helped accomplish the final signing of our current farm bill. We have now focused our efforts on trade, additional trade aid, financing, and…
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