Farmers’ decisions on base acreage reallocation or to update yield histories need to be made by Feb. 27. The sign-up deadline is Mar. 31 for Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) farm programs. Extensions will not to be granted, according to Southwest Farm Press.
“Farmers can’t go to the coffee shop, talk with their neighbors and decide which farm program (ARC or PLC) to sign up for,” said Joe Outlaw, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service (AgriLife) economist. “This is not a coffee shop farm bill! The best decision for one farm may not be the best decision for another farm in the same county, even if it’s similar. Yield history and other factors will be different.
“Farmers should not just go into the local FSA office and sign up without evaluating the options. The decision is too important, plus time is running out to sign up,” Outlaw said.
Farmers should gather their production records, check with insurance representatives for yield history information, use one of several decision aid tools (USDA or TAMU) and make an appointment with their local Farm Service Agency (FSA) agent.
Outlaw advises producers needing decision aid help or those not particularly computer savvy, to call AgriLife’s help desk at 844-229-7373, anytime between 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., seven days a week. By contract, this number is only available for decision aid help. For more detailed help, call 888-890-5663. With either number, callers are asked to leave a number and to wait for a call back, which typically occurs within minutes.