Producers encouraged to sign up early for Direct-Counter Cyclical Program

The 2005 crop year is beginning to wind down. The corn and soybeans have been harvested and stored or delivered to the local granary. The hay harvest ended a couple of month ago and now farmers and producers are beginning the winter ritual of providing hay and forage or breaking ice to insure adequate water sources are available to livestock. Some are beginning to formulate plans for the 2006 crop year; anticipating another good harvest, yet cautious and concerned about rising costs such as fuel, fertilizer, equipment, and financing.

Steve Stubblefield, county director of the Warren County Farm Service Agency, says this is a great time for producers and landowners to begin enrolling in USDA’s Direct and Counter Cyclical Payment (DCP) program as well.

“Producers and landowners can now begin to enroll their crop acreage bases in the 2006 DCP program as well. This just makes good sense to make this one of those items on the spring 2006 checklist to get done,” said Stubblefield.

Not only can landowners and producers get the signature requirements behind them, they may also request direct advance program payments.

“These direct advance program payments are equal to 50 percent of the guaranteed payment amount a landowner or producer is eligible to receive and would probably be helpful in planning a producer’s financial strategy for 2006,” the director said.

Direct advance program payments can be issued for any month beginning in December 2005 and continuing through September of the current fiscal year.

“This is also a good time for producers to update their farm operating plans if they have not done so in recent months, to verify their gross income certifications, and file 2006 crop acreage reports for any fall seeded crops,” Stubblefield noted.

“With shrinking budgets and fewer employees to assist producers, it just makes sense to complete the paperwork before we begin to get busy in the field again. We always think we can put this off and do the paperwork on a rainy day, but sometimes those days never come. It only takes a few minutes to complete the enrollment process.”

Producers can visit the FSA county office located at 811 Faulkner Springs Road during regular business hours of 8:00 ? 4:30 Monday through Friday to complete the enrollment process. For additional information, contact the Farm Service Agency at (931) 473-2277.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital for family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at 202-720-2600 (voice or TDD).

To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C., 20250-9410, or call (202) 720-5964 (voice or TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.