March 31 Deadline For Farm Bill Approaching; Extension Available In Fsa Offices

With less than one week until the sign-up deadline, 77 percent of farmers have made their election into the farm bill risk management program, according to USDA Farm Services Agency officials testifying today at a hearing of the House Agriculture Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and Risk Management. Ninety-four percent have completed their base acre reallocations. Farmers have until Tuesday, March 31 to update their base acres and choose between Ag Risk Coverage or Price Loss Coverage at their local FSA office.

At the hearing, FSA officials said county offices will remain flexible during program sign-up. Farmers who are unable to complete the process by the deadline are encouraged to go to their local FSA office as soon as possible (before March 31) to sign a document of their intent to enroll.

This will allow the farmer to come back into the FSA office to complete the enrollment process. Producers failing to enroll in either ARC/PLC are by default enrolled in the PLC program and forfeit program benefits for 2014.