By DONNA FERGUSON
United States Department of Agriculture

U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Indiana Farm Service Agency State Executive Director Julia A. Wickard reminds producers of upcoming important deadlines for the new safety-net programs established by the 2014 Farm Bill, known as Agriculture Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage.

The final day to update yield history or reallocate base acres for farm owners is Friday, Feb. 27, and the final day for producers to choose coverage is Tuesday, 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,” said Wickard.

“For the first time in over a decade, farmers have the opportunity to update yields or reallocate base, but if no changes are made by Feb. 27, the farm’s current yield and base will be used,” said Wickard. “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 have been conducted on the new safety-net programs, including over 270 in Indiana. The online tools, available at 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 grown in Indiana include barley, canola, corn, grain sorghum, oats, safflower seed, 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://offices.usda.gov.

The Farm Bill builds on historic economic gains in rural America over the past six years, while achieving meaningful reform and billions of dollars in savings for the taxpayer. Since enactment, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has made significant progress to implement each provision of this critical legislation, including providing disaster relief to farmers; strengthening risk management tools; expanding access to rural credit; funding critical research; establishing innovative public-private conservation partnerships; developing new markets for rural-made products; and investing in infrastructure, housing and community facilities to help improve quality of life in rural America. For more information, visit www.usda.gov/farmbill.