Signup begins for new Farm Bill program

Signup began Tuesday for the new Direct and Counter-Cyclical Program for crop years 2002 and 2003. The new program is one of the major changes that came out of the 2002 Farm Bill and is designed to assist farmers whenever commodity prices decline. Producers should wait until they receive their base option notice from their local Farm Service Agency county office before they contact the FSA office to sign up. The base option notice should be mailed within the next two weeks. Under the projected countercyclical program payment rates announced by FSA last week for 2002-crop wheat, feed grains and...