VALLEY — USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) has announced that producers who chose coverage from the safety net programs established by the 2014 Farm Bill, known as the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) or the Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs, can visit FSA county offices through August 1 to sign contracts to enroll in coverage for 2018.

Although the choice between ARC and PLC is completed and remains in effect through 2018, producers must still enroll their farm on an annual basis by signing a contract each year to receive coverage.

The Saguache County FSA office will be sending postcards to producers of farms with base acres notifying them of their appointment and every effort is being made to coincide this appointment with acreage reporting. If the appointed time does not work, please contact the county office to reschedule. If a farm is not enrolled during the 2018 enrollment period, producers on that farm will not be eligible for financial assistance from the ARC or PLC programs should crop prices or farm revenues fall below the historical price or revenue benchmarks established by the program.

The two programs were authorized by the 2014 Farm Bill and offer a safety net to agricultural producers when there is a substantial drop in prices or revenues for covered commodities. Covered commodities include barley, canola, large and small chickpeas, corn, crambe, flaxseed, grain sorghum, lentils, mustard seed, oats, peanuts, dry peas, rapeseed, long grain rice, medium grain rice (which includes short grain and sweet rice), safflower seed, sesame, soybeans, sunflower seed and wheat. For more details regarding these programs, go to www.fsa.usda.gov/arc-plc or visit your local FSA County Office.