The Department of Agriculture is helping cotton farmers prepare for new safety net coverage. The Farm Service Agency is sending acreage history and yield reports to agricultural producers with generic base acres covered by the Agriculture Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage programs. USDA says the data will help producers decide the best options for how to allocate generic base acres, given the addition of seed cotton as a covered commodity in the programs.
The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 amended the 2014 Farm Bill, adding seed cotton as a covered commodity under the ARC and PLC programs. This week, FSA will start sending producers information on current generic base acres, yields and 2008-2012 planting history. FSA administrator Richard Fordyce says the data will help farmers “make critical decisions” about the USDA programs. All producers electing to participate in either the ARC or PLC program will be required to make a one-time, unanimous and irrevocable election, choosing between ARC and PLC for the 2018 crop year for seed cotton only.
From the National Association of Farm Broadcasting News Service.