Producers should note crop certification deadline

By DAVY MOSELEY | East Texas Edition

June 28, 2001 -- From drought, to flooding, to insect infestation, USDA every year must initiate some type of new, or emergency relief, program intended to help curb agriculture losses. The payment calculations, and payout procedures are simplified if USDA has a certified record of all crop acreage for the program year.

Area farmers and ranchers have until July 15 to certify crop acreage with USDA's Farm Service Agency. Certifying crop acreage enables farmers and ranchers to be able to benefit from USDA programs for 2001.

Those intending to certify must contact the FSA office in their county to make an appointment to certify their crop acreage.

Hopkins Country Farm Service Agency Director Robert Garcia encourages all farmers and ranchers to certify their crop acreage.

"Anything that is growing on your place that you could possibly lose money on needs to be certified. This includes hay meadows, fruit and vegetable acreage, and Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) land -- not just (traditional) crops."

The FSA director said that many area farmers don't certify because they are waiting to see what mother nature does, or don't think they need to certify every year. Garcia stressed that every farmer or rancher needs to certify their acreage every year.

He added if those participating in the CRP program do not certify their acreage, they will not receive their CRP payment in October 2001. The CRP program is a land conservation program whereby the landowner receives compensation from USDA to not use the land for agricultural production.

"We've been averaging about 60 to 70 people per week for the past three or four weeks, but there are still a lot of people who have not yet certified in Hopkins County," Garcia said.

Garcia stressed that the certification process is largely painless, even for those certifying for the first time.

"We'll document what they have, an aerial photograph will be made of the acreage, we'll ask some questions, and the whole thing shouldn't take any more than an hour; 15 to 20 minutes in most cases," Garcia said.

Contact the FSA office in your county for more information.