USDA acreage reports due May 15

The United States Department of Agriculture, Farm Service Agency, has established May 15 as the last date to report fall seeded crops of wheat, barley, and oats for the 2008 crop year.

The date has not changed in several years and is considered to be the last date producers can voluntarily report acreages without being charged a reporting fee.

According to Vickie Bouldin, Warren County FSA Committee chairperson, the acreage reports benefit producers by providing a record of production in the event disaster situations arise.

‘Producers should make every effort to accurately report their acreages of all crops, whether fall seeded crops or spring seeded crops such as corn, soybeans, vegetables, nursery stock, or hay and pastures,’ she said.

USDA uses the results of these acreage reports in establishing future program policies and determining future supply and demand needs. Acreage reports are also used by the Risk Management Agency (crop insurance) for determining planting dates, and verification of crop locations and planted acreages.

Bouldin says that measurement services are available to producers for those that are unsure of the exact acreage.

‘Some programs administered by USDA require producers to be within certain tolerances to remain eligible for program benefits,’ she noted. ‘The Non-Insurable Acreage Disaster Program or NAP, requires producers to be within five percent or one acre of the total acreage reported to be eligible for benefits.’

Producers who fail to remain within the required tolerances will find their fees paid for insurance or NAP coverage will be null and voided if outside the tolerance levels.

Another important issue regarding the reporting of crop acreage is the reporting of failed or prevented planted acreages. Producers who have made the required efforts to plant their crops and the crop has failed due to natural causes, such as flooding, freeze, or drought conditions, must have their acreage of the crops verified prior to destroying the crop acreage. Producers will need to provide proof that the crop acreage was planted and cared for in a manner to produce a normal harvest. The FSA Committee must review the producer’s reports of failed or prevented planted crops acreages and determine whether or not the cause of loss is realistic and reasonable.

‘I want to encourage any producer who has planted crops to visit the Farm Service Agency and accurately file their crop acreage reports,’ said Bouldin. ‘May 15 is the final date for fall seeded crops, July 15 is the final date for crops planted this spring.’

The Warren County USDA Service Center is located at 811 Faulkner Springs Road and is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.