Hello again, friends:
It has definitely been a wet start into April and more rain to come the rest of the week.
USDA had made some changes, and producers will need to stop by their local FSA office and file a new AD-1026 if not already completed when signing up for the new ARC/PLC program.
What’s new
Changes mandated through the 2014 farm bill require producers to have a Highly Erodible Land Conservation and Wetland Conservation Certification (AD-1026) on file. For farmers to be eligible for premium support on their federal crop insurance, a completed and signed AD-1026 form must be on file with the FSA.
Since many FSA and Natural Resource Conservation (NRCS) programs have this requirement, most producers should already have an AD-1026 on file. If producers have not filed, they must do so by June 1, 2015.
When a farmer completes the AD-1026, FSA and NRCS staff will outline any additional actions that may be required for compliance with the provisions. The Risk Management Agency, through the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC), manages the federal crop insurance program that provides the modern farm safety net for American farmers.
Conservation compliance
Since enactment of the 1985 farm bill, eligibility for most commodity, disaster, and conservation programs has been linked to compliance with the highly erodible land conservation and wetland conservation provisions. The 2014 farm bill continues the requirement that producers adhere to conservation compliance guidelines to be eligible for most programs administered by FSA and NRCS.
This includes the new price and revenue protection programs, the Conservation Reserve Program, the Livestock Disaster Assistance programs and Marketing Assistance Loans implemented by FSA. It also includes the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, the Conservation Stewardship Program, and other conservation programs.
FSA recently released a revised form AD-1026, which is available at USDA Service Centers and online.
NOTE: There is no requirement to file a new revised AD-1026 form if the existing AD-1026 form on file is valid, as long as the answers to the questions on existing AD-1026 do not change and the producer does not violate HELC or WC provisions. USDA will publish a rule later this year that will provide details outlining the connection of conservation compliance with crop insurance premium support.
That’s all for now,
FSA Andy
