Vilsack extends base reallocation and yield updates
February 27, 2015 |02:28 PM
PHOENIX — Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said here today that the Agriculture Department will extend the deadline for farmers to reallocate their base acreages and update their yields from today to March 31.
But he told the Commodity Classic, a gathering of corn, soybean, wheat and sorghum growers, that USDA has no plans to extend the March 31 deadline for crop farmers to make a choice between the new Agricultural Risk Coverage program and the Price Loss Coverage program.
At a news conference, Vilsack said about 60 percent of the farmers that USDA’s Farm Service Agency would have expected to reallocate base and update yields have done so, while about 30 percent have made an election between ARC and PLC.
Extending that ARC-PLC deadline would be like giving schoolchildren a reason to take more time, he said. “You have another month to do your homework.”
But he also did not rule out an extension on ARC-PLC.
“We are going to track it,” Vilsack said. “When we get closer to the deadline we may have to make adjustments, maybe not.”
Vilsack said he wants each farmer and landowner to think about the options and to make a decision rather than just let the process unfold.
USDA noted in a news release, “If no changes are made to yield history or base acres by March 31, 2015, the farm’s current yield and base will be used. A program choice of ARC or PLC coverage also must be made by March 31, 2015, or there will be no 2014 payments for the farm and the farm will default to PLC coverage through the 2018 crop year.”
But he told the Commodity Classic, a gathering of corn, soybean, wheat and sorghum growers, that USDA has no plans to extend the March 31 deadline for crop farmers to make a choice between the new Agricultural Risk Coverage program and the Price Loss Coverage program.
At a news conference, Vilsack said about 60 percent of the farmers that USDA’s Farm Service Agency would have expected to reallocate base and update yields have done so, while about 30 percent have made an election between ARC and PLC.
Extending that ARC-PLC deadline would be like giving schoolchildren a reason to take more time, he said. “You have another month to do your homework.”
But he also did not rule out an extension on ARC-PLC.
“We are going to track it,” Vilsack said. “When we get closer to the deadline we may have to make adjustments, maybe not.”
Vilsack said he wants each farmer and landowner to think about the options and to make a decision rather than just let the process unfold.
USDA noted in a news release, “If no changes are made to yield history or base acres by March 31, 2015, the farm’s current yield and base will be used. A program choice of ARC or PLC coverage also must be made by March 31, 2015, or there will be no 2014 payments for the farm and the farm will default to PLC coverage through the 2018 crop year.”
