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CROP REPORTING DEADLINE EXTENDED IN FLOOD DAMAGED COUNTIES

 

        For information contact: Carl Meiss, Public Relations Director  Ph: (717)-737-8855 or (800)-552-3865

Email: publicrelations@pagrange.org

July 11, 2006

Harrisburg PA, July 10, 2006:  State Executive Director Richard Pallman today announced that producers in counties affected by last week’s substantial rains have an extra two weeks to visit their local Farm Service Agency office for acreage reporting. The original date was July 17, 2006, as the normal date, July 15, falls on a non-work day this year.

State Executive Director Richard Pallman said that filing an accurate and timely acreage report for all crops and land uses, including failed acreage and prevented planted acreage credit, can prevent loss of Farm Service Agency program benefits.  Producers are required to file acreage reports by July 17, 2006, for all crops.  To be timely filed, acreage reports for:

  • Prevented planted acreage - are required to be submitted no later than 15 calendar days after the final planting date for the applicable crop.

  • Failed acreage - shall be filed before disposition of the crop.

  • Crops planted after July 17, 2006 - must be submitted no later than 15 calendar days after planting is complete.

Producers may file an acreage report after August 1, 2006, provided:

  • A late file fee is paid for the cost of a field visit

  • Physical evidence of the crop exists

  • Crops use can be verified

  • Crop acreage can be determined.

Pallman also said that even after the August 1, 2006 date, FSA’s County Committees have the authority to waive the late file fee if the reason for the late filed report is beyond the producer’s control. This will allow producers in flood impacted areas some relief and will allow them to concentrate on getting their operations up and running.

Producers are also urged to report any crop losses or damage to cropland to their FSA office to assist FSA in assessing damage.

Landowners who plan to make emergency repairs to stream banks, fencing, etc., damaged by the recent rains should also contact their FSA office before beginning work to see if they could qualify for future compensations.

The counties covered for this extension are:

Adams, Armstrong, Berks, Bradford, Bucks, Carbon, Chester, Columbia, Cumberland, Dauphin, Delaware, Franklin, Indiana, Jefferson, Lackawanna, Lancaster, Lebanon, Lehigh, Luzerne, Lycoming, Monroe, Montgomery, Montour, Northampton, Northumberland, Philadelphia, Pike, Schuylkill, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Tioga, Wayne, Wyoming and York.

FSA has 44 offices serving Pennsylvania producers. Offices are listed in the US Government section of the Blue Pages in the telephone directory under Agriculture. FSA is on the World Wide Web at  http://www.fsa.usda.gov


The USDA Farm Service Agency prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation or marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs). Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audio tape, etc.) should contact USDA'’ TARGET Center at 202-720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination, write: USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 14th and Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call 202-720-5964 (voice and TDD).  USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.