Deadline approaches for farm bill aid

The United States Department of Agriculture is encouraging farmers to apply for millions of dollars of aid available through the 2002 Farm Bill, and to do it sooner rather than later.

The deadline for the Direct and Counter-cyclical Program of the farm bill is looming and the USDA's Farm Service Agency, which processes applications, is worried farmers may delay too long.

In Nevada, 520 farmers are eligible for assistance under the program and the FSA office here is concerned that it won't be able to adequately process a flood of applications received at the last minute.

"The reason that we're concerned is that this is not a snap decision or checkoff list kind of thing," said Roger Van Valkenburg, FSA state executive director in Reno.

"We're concerned people will not get a chance to explain all the possibilities and there will be lines sitting outside at the end of March.We would process everyone but we would not be able to spend time with them." Applications for the program are due April 1, and Van Valkenburg said the application process can take up to four hours.

Applications are processed at one of the agency's seven offices in Ely, Elko,Winnemucca, Lovelock, Fallon, Yerington and Minden.

The program makes direct payments to farmers as well additional payments that are triggered when the price of a crop falls below a certain threshold.

"For example, when the price of wheat goes below $3.80 a bushel, I believe, the subsidy kicks in," said Van Valkenburg.

The crops grown here that fall under the program include corn, wheat and barley, he said.

(The program covers commodity crops, and alfalfa is not considered a commodity crop.) Last year Nevada farmers and ranchers received about $7 million from the federal government, most of it in disaster relief funds related to drought.

The sixyear farm bill passed last year makes available about $2 million annually for local farmers and ranchers, including programs for drought relief assistance.

During wet years, state farmers and ranchers garner about $2 million in federal funds annually; in drought years that jumps closer to $7 million, said Van Valkenburg.

"Disaster is the most utilized provision," said Van Valkenburg.

"If I had to guess, I'd say Nevada farmer and ranchers will get between $4 million and $5 million in 2003." There are other programs that cover Nevada farmers and ranchers, said Van Valkenburg (see chart).

The Livestock Compensation Program, for example, is another direct payment program for ranchers affected by the drought.

The deadline for that was last Dec.

13 and Van Valkenburg said he thinks about 95 percent of those eligible for the program signed up.

Another program for wool producers that would affect about 45 Nevada ranchers has a deadline in June.

But the agency is still trying to persuade farmers to get a jump on the April deadline for the commodity crops assistance.

"Nevada farmers and ranchers," said Van Valkenburg, "tend to wait until they really need it." USDA Farm Bill programs available to Nevada farmers and ranchers Natural disaster assistance: *Emergency Conservation Program *Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program *Emergency Loan Assistance *Emergency Haying and Grazing Assistance *American Indian Livestock Feed Program *Livestock Indemnity Program *Livestock Assistance Program Agricultural Market Transition Act: *Production Flexibility Contracts *Loan Deficiency Payment Provision Farm loans: *Conservation Reserve Program *Continuous Conservation Reserve Program *Environmental Quality Incentives Program Other programs: *Lamb Meat Adjustment Assistance Program *Farm Storage Facility Loan Program *Wool and Mohair Market Loss Assistance Program *Dairy Market Loss Assistance Program