USDA Implements 2008 Farm Bill Amendments

Farm Progress reports that USDA has implemented a couple of amendments to the 2008 Farm Bill. The first involves direct and countercyclical payments to owners and operators of farms with ten or fewer base acres.

“Because of the change in the law, they have until Nov. 26 to go into their local FSA office or use the website of the USDA to enroll their particular parcel of land into the DCP program,” said Glen Keppy, Farm Service Agency deputy administrator.

An amendment to the rules of the Supplemental Revenue Assistance Payments Program in the farm bill will give producers until Jan. 12, 2009, to buy their way into the program if they had sales closing dates on crop insurance before Aug. 14.

“Those producers who have 2009 crops that didn’t purchase crop insurance can now purchase this buy-in, in order to be eligible for sure,” said FSA’s Lynn Tjeerdsma. Also, the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program application closing dates for the 2009 crops have been extended to Dec. 1, 2008. ❖