Montana FSA issues reminders

From Montana FSA

Producers have until May 31 to apply for crop year 2018 marketing assistance loans for feed grains, upland cotton, soybeans and minor oilseeds.

These marketing assistance loans are considered nonrecourse, meaning they can either be redeemed by repaying the loan or delivering the pledged collateral — i.e., the crop — at loan maturity to the Commodity Credit Corporation as full payment. In circumstances where the county commodity price falls below the county loan rate, producers may repay loans at less than loan rate — principal — plus accrued interest and other charges, therefore, receiving a market loan gain. Alternatively, producers who are eligible for marketing loans are also eligible for Loan Deficiency Payments should the county price fall below the county loan rate.

The 2018 Farm Bill simplified market loan gains and LDP provisions by removing payment limitations, actively engaged in farming provisions and cash-tenant rules; however, adjusted gross income rules still apply.

Producers must have title, possession and control of the commodity and be responsible for loss of or damage to the commodity to be eligible for commodity loans and LDPs. All application forms must be completed at the local FSA office prior to loss of beneficial interest. Other eligibility requirements may apply.

Producers can see their daily LDP rates online at http://fsa.usda.gov/.

To apply for a loan, people can contact their local FSA office, location available at http://farmers.gov/. Additional information is available at fsa.usda.gov/pricesupport.

Timely filing an NAP notice of loss

Timely filing a Notice of Loss is required for all crops including grasses. For losses on crops covered by the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program, producers must timely report damage or loss to their administrative county office. For all low yield and value-loss crop claims, a CCC-576 Part B Notice of Loss must be filed within 15 calendar days of earlier of the date disaster occurs — or becomes apparent — or the normal harvest date. However, all producers should be aware that deadlines to provide initial notice to FSA do now vary by method of harvest and crop.

Crops that are hand-harvested or other crops determined by FSA to deteriorate quickly and therefore need prompt appraisal must notify FSA within 72 hours of the date of damage or loss first becomes apparent. This initial notice may be by the filing of the CCC-576 Part B, email, fax, or a phone call. When initial notice is by email, fax, or phone, County Offices will provide a Receipt for Service with additional requirements. A CCC-576 Notice of Loss will still be required within 15 calendar days of earlier of date of occurrence/appearance of damage or harvest date.

Other crops, such as forages and grains, continue to have the 15 day requirement to file a required CCC-576, Notice of Loss, to report failed acreage and prevented planting and may be completed by any producer with an interest in the crop. This Notice of Loss must be filed within 15 calendar days of the earlier of date of occurrence/appearance of damage or harvest date.

If filing for prevented planting, an acreage report and CCC-576 Part B must be filed within 15 calendar days of the final planting date for the crop.

Further, to receive NAP assistance for claimed losses producers must timely file an Application for Payment on CCC-576 — Parts D through H — along with all required production records. Each producer on the unit must file their own application for payment. The deadline to apply for payment is 60 calendar days after the end of coverage for the crop year on the unit.  There are no late-file provisions for NAP Applications for Payment.

Montana FSA program dates and deadlines

May 15 to July 15: Montana Primary Nesting Period

May 31: Final day to certify 2018 production for the Market Facilitation Program for producers of corn, cotton, sorghum, soybeans, wheat, dairy, hogs, fresh sweet cherries and shelled almonds, extended.

May 31: Final availability date for Loans and LDPs for corn, dry peas, grain sorghum, lentils, mustard seed, rice, safflower seed, chickpeas, soybeans and sunflower seed

June 3: Continuous Conservation Reserve Program Enrollment Reopens

June 14 to Aug. 1: Nomination Period for 2019 FSA County Committee Elections

July 15: 2019 Acreage/Crop Reporting Deadline for spring seeded alfalfa seed, forage seeding, CRP, perennial forage not covered under NAP, and all other crops not required to be reported by a previous reporting date. Producers should note that this is the final date that FSA can accept late-filed 2018 reports for these crops.

July 15: Deadline to submit 2018 Individual Agriculture Risk Coverage Production Sheets, CCC-863.

July 16 to Sept. 13: 2019 CRP Summer/Fall Managed Harvesting Period, prior approval required.

Aug. 1: Deadline to request a farm reconstitution for 2019

Sept. 1: 2020 NAP Application for Coverage Deadline for Value-Loss Crops such as nursery, christmas trees, grass sod, ginseng, aquaculture, floriculture, root stock sets and mushrooms

Sept. 30: 2020 NAP Application for Coverage Deadline for annual fall-seeded crops, perennial forage and grazing, mixed forage crops, including spring seeded annual types of mixed forage, rye, speltz, triticale, wheat and garlic.