Pacific Nut Producer Magazine

Tag: Farm Service Agency

  • USDA Reminds Ag Producers of Approaching Deadlines

    The USDA is reminding ag producers impacted by increased input costs and natural disasters that the deadlines to apply for safety net and disaster assistance programs designed to protect their financial security are coming soon.  USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) wants to remind producers that the Assistance for Specialty Crop Farmers (ASCF) program and the Supplemental Disaster Relief Program (SDRP), both have deadlines in early August. Additionally, thanks to the Working Families Tax Cuts Act, eligible landowners have until the end of August to review and consider base acre increases for the first time since 2002 for the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs.

    “Whether it’s disaster assistance, support for specialty crop growers or the first chance in more than two decades to update base acres, I encourage producers not to wait until the last minute,” said FSA Administrator Bill Beam. “These deadlines represent real opportunities for producers to recover from market and weather challenges. Reach out to your local FSA office now and make sure you don’t leave assistance on the table.”

    Agricultural producers are reminded of these important upcoming deadlines:

    • Aug. 7 — Deadline to apply for ASCF
    • Aug. 12, — Deadline to apply for SDRP
    • Aug. 31 —Deadline to review base allocations through ARC/PLC

    Assistance for Specialty Crop Farmers

    ASCF provides payments to specialty crop producers based on reported 2025 planted acres. Pre-filled ASCF applications are available to producers who reported their 2025 crop acreage for eligible specialty crops. Producers with a secure Login.gov account can access and submit their pre-filled application online. Producers can also request their pre-filled application from their local FSA county office. Eligible crops and payment rates can be found at fsa.usda.gov/ascf. The deadline to apply is Aug. 7.

    Supplemental Disaster Relief Program

    SDRP provides more than $16 billion in disaster relief payments to producers who suffered revenue, quality or production losses to crops, trees, bushes, or vines due to qualifying disaster events in calendar years 2023 and 2024. Producers with indemnified losses can apply through SDRP Stage 1 which leverages Federal Crop Insurance or Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program data as the basis for calculating payments. Producers with non-indemnified (including shallow losses), uncovered (uninsured), and quality losses can apply for Stage 2 assistance. Producers can request an application from their local FSA county office. Aug. 12 is the deadline for both Stages 1 and 2. Additional information can be found at fsa.usda.gov/sdrp.

    Agriculture Risk Coverage/Price Loss Coverage

    ARC and PLC are cornerstone commodity safety net programs that provide financial protection to farmers when market prices or revenues decline. Landowners have the opportunity to increase base acres in preparation for enrollment in ARC and PLC beginning with the 2026 and future crop years as authorized by the Working Families Tax Cuts Act. Nationwide, up to 30 million new base acres can be added by eligible farms.

    Eligible landowners should review their Base Allocation Summary, which outlines potential base acre increases. These Base Allocation Summaries can be accessed online at fsa.usda.gov/arc-plc using a Login.gov account. Landowners who do not currently have a Login.gov account are encouraged to contact their local FSA county office to obtain their Base Allocation Summary and review and take any necessary action by Aug. 31.   

    County Committees

    Additionally, Aug. 3 is the last day to submit nomination forms for eligible candidates to serve on their local FSA county committees. County committees are a critical component of the day-to-day operations of FSA and allow grassroots input and local administration of federal farm programs. Elections occur each year in certain Local Administrative Areas (LAA). LAAs are elective areas for FSA county committees in a single county or multi-county jurisdiction. Ballots will be mailed to eligible voters in November. Learn more at fsa.usda.gov/coc.

    More Information

    For more information, producers can contact their local FSA office. Producers can also book an appointment with local FSA farm program and farm loan staff using FSA’s new online scheduling system.   

  • California Walnut Commission Voices Support for ASCF

    The California Walnut Commission issued a statement voicing its support for the Assistance for Specialty Crops Farmers (ACSF) program. The program was announced May 29, offering $1.6 billion in federal assistance and relief to growers of specialty crops. This includes tree nuts like walnuts, almonds and pistachios.

    “The California Walnut Commission extends its appreciation to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Farm Service Agency (FSA) staff for the announcement and implementation of payment rates and the enrollment period for the ASCF program.

    In response to elevated input costs and market disruptions that impede specialty crop exports, USDA will issue $1.625 billion in payments to eligible specialty crop producers. Eligible walnut growers will be able to receive payments at a rate of $225 per acre based on their 2025 crop acreage report. This new funding will help walnut growers, many from multi-generational family farms, offset high production costs and ongoing market disruptions due to tariffs in key markets.

    ‘Walnut growers are in full swing nurturing this year’s crop, which just finished the bloom and nut set start of the crop year,’ said Bill Carriere, vice chairman of the California Walnut Commission. ‘This additional financial support will be utilized to lower input costs and improve our competitiveness abroad.’

    We thank Secretary Rollins and USDA for their continued commitment to supporting specialty crop producers, including California walnut growers, to strengthen the competitiveness of American agriculture at home and abroad.”

  • New Farm Bill Priorities Supporting Specialty Crop Agriculture

    As legislature continues to work on completing a new Farm Bill, specialty crops may reap greater representation and benefits than in any previous Farm Bill.  Watch this brief video featuring Philip Karsting from Olsson Frank Weeda as he discusses their priorities for specialty crop ag at a recent conference held by American Pistachio Growers.

    Special thanks to American Pistachio Growers for sponsoring this video.

  • USDA to Support California Almond Industry

    Growers have until the end of day Feb. 14th to sign up for the USDA market facilitation program created in response to the retaliatory tariffs.  USDA is also supporting the California almond industry in other ways. Watch this brief interview with Julie Adams from the Almond Board of California for more information.

    Enjoy our Ag video news?  Be sure to let our sponsor Duarte Nursery know & thank them for their industry support!

  • USDA to Reopen FSA Offices for Limited Services During Gov’t Shutdown

    USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue

    U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today announced that many Farm Service Agency (FSA) offices will reopen temporarily in the coming days to perform certain limited services for farmers and ranchers. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has recalled about 2,500 FSA employees to open offices on Thursday, January 17 and Friday, January 18, in addition to Tuesday, January 22, during normal business hours. The offices will be closed for the federal Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday on Monday, January 21.

    In almost half of FSA locations, FSA staff will be available to assist agricultural producers with existing farm loans and to ensure the agency provides 1099 tax documents to borrowers by the Internal Revenue Service’s deadline.

    “Until Congress sends President Trump an appropriations bill in the form that he will sign, we are doing our best to minimize the impact of the partial federal funding lapse on America’s agricultural producers,” Perdue said.  “We are bringing back part of our FSA team to help producers with existing farm loans.  Meanwhile, we continue to examine our legal authorities to ensure we are providing services to our customers to the greatest extent possible during the shutdown.”

    Staff members will be available at certain FSA offices to help producers with specific services, including:

    • Processing payments made on or before December 31, 2018.
    • Continuing expiring financing statements.
    • Opening mail to identify priority items.

    Additionally, as an intermittent incidental duty, staff may release proceeds from the sale of loan security by signing checks jointly payable to FSA that are brought to the county office by producers.

    Information on the locations of FSA offices to be open during this three-day window will be posted:

    While staff are available in person during this three-day window, most available services can be handled over the phone. Producers can begin contacting staff on January 17 here.

    Additionally, farmers who have loan deadlines during the lapse in funding do not need to make payments until the government shutdown ends.

    Other FSA Programs & Services

    Reopened FSA offices will only be able to provide the specifically identified services while open during this limited time. Services that will not be available include, but are not limited to:

    • New direct or facility loans.
    • New Farm loan guarantees.
    • New marketing assistance loans.
    • New applications for Market Facilitation Program (MFP).
    • Certification of 2018 production for MFP payments.
    • Dairy Margin Protection Program.
    • Disaster assistance programs, such as:
      • Livestock Indemnity Program.
      • Emergency Conservation Program.
      • Wildfires and Hurricanes Indemnity Program.
      • Livestock Forage Disaster Program.
      • Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees and Farm-Raised Fish.

    While January 15, 2019 had been the original deadline for producers to apply for MFP, farmers have been unable to apply since December 28, 2018, when FSA offices closed because of the lapse in federal funding.  Secretary Perdue has extended the MFP application deadline for a period of time equal to the number of business days FSA offices end up being closed, once the government shutdown ends. These announced days of limited staff availability during the shutdown will not constitute days open in calculating the extension. Producers who already applied for MFP and certified their 2018 production by December 28, 2018 should have already received their payments.

    More information on MFP is available at www.farmers.gov/manage/mfp.

  • US Trade Mitigation Package Direct Payments for Almonds

    The Almond Alliance of California appreciates the efforts by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to establish the procedures required to provide direct payments to almond growers to help offset some of the damage being incurred due to the retaliatory tariffs imposed by China and Turkey. As announced today by Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue, growers of California almonds are now eligible to apply for direct payments of $.03 per pound as part of the $12 billion mitigation package announced earlier this month. The damage assessment figure assigned to almonds is $63.3 million.
    The announcement is a result of the industry coming together and advocating through the Almond Alliance of California (AAC). Elaine Trevino, President/CEO of AAC said “Industry members should be proud that through a unified effort they were able to have their voices heard and be acknowledged for their contribution to the national economy, along with the significant role they play in the international market place.”
    The almond industry has been significantly impacted by retaliatory tariffs and the inclusion of the commodity in the USDA trade mitigation package is a result of a vocal industry and the support and hard work of California’s congressional delegation. Trevino noted, “The direct payment program reflects the hard work of Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Chairman Jeff Denham who led the congressional effort including Congressmen Costa, Valadao, Nunes, LaMalfa, Pannetta and Senators Harris and Feinstein. Their combined efforts and leadership helped ensure that the California almond industry received direct payments within the specific program guidelines. We are thankful that our congressional delegation worked hard for our industry and acknowledged the importance of almonds to the California and U.S. economy.”
    Producers of almonds can sign up for the Market Facilitation Program (MFP), which is a direct payment program for eligible almond growers who have been directly impacted by retaliatory tariffs, resulting in significant export losses. The MFP is established under the statutory authority of the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) Charter Act and is under the administration of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA). There are specific eligibility requirements that must be met by an applicant and the maximum payment per applicant is $125,000. Eligible almond growers may apply for MFP September 24, 2018 through January 15, 2019.
    Almonds are one of California’s top three valued commodities and the leading agricultural export.  The California almond industry exports 67% of what it produces.  With exports of nearly $4.5 billion in 2017, the California almond industry contributes significantly to the longstanding trade surplus generated by American agriculture. While the mitigation initiatives are helpful, they will not begin to approach the anticipated economic losses and long-term impact these retaliatory tariffs will have on the industry’s trade relationships and the considerable investments made over the years to create market demand in China and Turkey. Trevino pointed out, “We remain hopeful for a quick resolution to the broader trade disputes with these trading partners to ensure open and fair trade so consumers around the globe can continue to enjoy California almonds.”
    For more Information:
    For more information about the MFP program, visit www.farmers.gov/MFP or contact your local FSA office. To find your local FSA office, visit www.farmers.gov.
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    About the Almond Alliance of California
    The Almond Alliance of California (AAC) is a trusted non-profit organization with a mission of advocating on behalf of the Almond industry in California. AAC actively advocates for the positions of almond growers, hullers, shellers, handers and processors, while educating the industry about upcoming and existing regulatory changes.  Through workshops, newsletters, conferences and meetings, AAC serves as a clearing house of information that informs the almond industry and continues to position the industry as an agricultural leader in the state. 

  • USDA-FSA Approves Pistachio Bushy Top Syndrome for Natural Disaster Assistance

    Pistachio Bushy Top Syndrome has caused a lot of economic injury and heartache to the western pistachio industry over the last several years.  Thankfully, the USDA Farm Service Agency recently announced approval of Bushy Top as a natural disaster qualifying for coverage under the federal Tree Assistance Program for replacement of affected trees.  Watch this brief interview with Richard Matoian from American Pistachio Growers as he explains and read more about it in Pacific Nut Producer Magazine.

  • Pistachio Bushy Top Approved for USDA TAP Program

    Pistachio Bushy Top Syndrome, New Mexico State University

    On May 31, the United States Department of Agriculture, Farm Service Agency (USDA-FSA) State Committee approved pistachio Bushy Top Syndrome as a natural disaster, thereby allowing pistachios to be included in USDA’s Tree Assistance Program (TAP).

    This means that eligible growers affected by the Bushy Top Syndrome could receive government assistance for the replacement of their affected trees. The program will be implemented in Fall of 2018 and will be retroactive to 2012.

    Growers from all states affected by Bushy Top Syndrome will be allowed to participate. Like a number of other Federal programs, TAP participation has a number of restrictions, including participation limited to entities with adjusted gross income below the federal cap of $900,000; and cost reimbursement only for the removal and replanting costs of the affected trees, not for the trees themselves.

    American Pistachio Growers (APG) has been diligently working on this issue for over a year attempting to qualify pistachios for this Federal program. We will keep you updated as more details are released.  This is a significant victory for our industry and it was accomplished through the perseverance of APG and our ongoing federal lobbying effort.