In an effort to help growers make informed decisions for the 2015 crop year regarding the new farm bill options, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack said he has started to develop a timetable.
He said the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will soon disperse $3 million that Congress provided in the farm bill for training materials, according to Agri-Pulse.
Vilsack hopes to publicize options for Agricultural Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) this fall, allowing farmers to update their production history, reallocate base acres and make a decision regarding the commodity programs. The Supplemental Coverage Option (SCO) may not be ready in time for farmers to make a decision on ARC or PLC in combination with SCO before fall planting.
Wheat growers who initially select PLC with SCO will be able to reverse their decision and select ARC without penalty, as long as the decision is made by Nov. 15—the acreage reporting date.
The agency plans to implement Market Assistance Loan programs, along with dairy, crop insurance and sugar programs by this spring or early summer.