USDA Announces Major Program Improvements, Progress, and Investments to Benefit American Farmers, Ranchers, and Producers

SAN JUAN, P.R., January 9, 2023 — Today, at the American Farm Bureau Federation annual convention, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced several major developments at the U.S. Department of Agriculture that will benefit farmers, ranchers and producers across the nation.   

USDA Reminds Producers of Continuous Certification Option for Perennial Forage 

WASHINGTON, Jan. 11, 2023 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reminds agricultural producers with perennial forage crops of an option to report their acreage once, without having to report that acreage in subsequent years, as long as there are no applicable changes on the farm. Interested producers can select the continuous certification option after USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) certifies their acreage report.    

USDA Temporarily Suspends Debt Collections, Foreclosures and Other Activities on Farm Loans for Several Thousand Distressed Borrowers Due to Coronavirus

Huron, South Dakota, Jan. 27, 2021 – Due to the national public health emergency caused by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the U.S. Department of Agriculture today announced the temporary suspension of past-due debt collections and foreclosures for distressed borrowers under the Farm Storage Facility Loan and the Direct Farm Loan programs administered by the Farm Service Agency (FSA). USDA will temporarily suspend non-judicial foreclosures, debt offsets or wage garnishments, and referring foreclosures to the Department of Justice.

USDA Reminds Producers of Continuous Certification Option for Perennial Forage 

Contact:
FPAC.BC.Press@usda.gov

WASHINGTON, Jan. 11, 2023 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reminds agricultural producers with perennial forage crops of an option to report their acreage once, without having to report that acreage in subsequent years, as long as there are no applicable changes on the farm. Interested producers can select the continuous certification option after USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) certifies their acreage report.  

USDA Offers New Forest Management Incentive for Conservation Reserve Program

COLUMBIA, S.C., Jan. 19, 2021 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is making available $12 million for use in making payments to forest landowners with land enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) in exchange for their implementing healthy forest management practices. Existing CRP participants can now sign up for the Forest Management Incentive (FMI), which provides financial incentives to landowners with land in CRP to encourage proper tree thinning and other practices.

Farm Service Agency Reopens Application Period for Emergency Forest Restoration Program

GAINESVILLE, Fla., Feb. 2, 2021 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) in Florida announced that counties are accepting applications for the Emergency Forest Restoration Program (EFRP) to address damages from Hurricane Michael that occurred in 2018. The EFRP sign-up period reopened on Jan. 19, 2021 and ends on March 11, 2021.