The deadline to sign up for the Dairy Margin Protection Program (MPP) is Friday, Dec. 15.
Farmers are not automatically signed up for 2018 if they were participating in 2017.
All farmers who want MPP coverage for 2018 must register by completing form CCC-782, elect a coverage level and pay the $100 administrative fee.
Farmers can opt out of MPP and participate in the Livestock Gross Margin-Dairy insurance program, according to Brownfield Ag News.
They can also choose not to participate in either program.
According to Brownfield Ag News, the widely-criticized MPP safety net program for dairy farmers is likely to be a big debate topic for the next farm bill due to the high premiums paid in and relatively low payouts.
Effective Sept. 1, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced dairy farmers could enroll or opt-out for 2018 coverage through the program.
Dairy farmers should not sign up during the annual registration period to opt out.
Established in the 2014 Farm Bill, MPP was intended to provide financial assistance to participating dairy farmers when the margin–the difference between the price of milk and feed costs–falls below the coverage level selected by the farmer.
USDA has a web tool to help farmers determine the level of coverage under the MPP-Dairy that will provide them with the strongest safety net under a variety of conditions. The online resource, available at http://www.fsa.usda.gov/mpptool, allows dairy farmers to quickly and easily combine unique operation date and other key variables to calculate their coverage needs based on price projections.
Farmers can also review historical data or estimate future coverage based on data projections. The secure site can be accessed via computer, smartphone, tablet or any other platform, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
To find a local FSA office in your area, visit http://offices.usda.gov.