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FSA reminds producers crop report deadlines coming up

-The Hagstrom Report

Agricultural producers who have not yet completed their crop acreage reports after spring planting should make an appointment with the local Farm Service Agency (FSA) office before the applicable deadline, Agriculture Department Farm Service Agency Administrator Richard Fordyce has advised.

July 15 is a major deadline for most crops, but acreage reporting deadlines vary by county and by crop, he said.

But separately FSA said it is providing additional flexibilities for producers to file on acres with failed crops or crops that were prevented from planting because of extreme weather events.



“With many program deadlines approaching, our service centers are working hard to accommodate as many producer appointments as possible,” said Fordyce. “By providing flexibilities to our Notice of Loss policy, we can ensure we provide the best customer service.”

FSA noted the following flexibilities:



Filing for prevented planted acres

For insured crops, producers who timely filed a prevented planted claim with the reinsurance company but filed a Notice of Loss (CCC-576) form after the deadline will be considered timely filed for FSA purposes.

FSA can use data from the Risk Management Agency for accepting the report of prevented planting with FSA. If the information is not available through RMA, the producer may also provide proper evidence to FSA that the prevented planted claim was timely filed with the reinsurance company.

For uninsured crops, producers may start a Notice of Loss by calling their FSA county office, or they may print and complete the form and send it to their county office.

For prevented planted acreage, Notice of Loss forms mailed to the FSA office must be postmarked by the final acreage reporting date in the county to be considered timely filed. For all prevented planted cases, the Report of Acreage (FSA-578) form and the completed and signed Notice of Loss must be filed by the applicable acreage reporting date.

Filing for failed acres

For failed acreage of uninsured crops, the Notice of Loss must be completed, signed and verified before the disposition of the crop.

When to file a ‘Notice of Loss’

A Notice of Loss cannot be filed for a crop before the final planting date, but it can be filed before completing the crop acreage report.

Producers who miss the July 15 acreage reporting deadline will not face a late filing fee if filed within a month of the deadline, FSA said.


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