July 15, 2022, is the final date to report 2022 planted crop acreage to FSA.
Also, something new for this year, any producer planning to plant cotton in 2022 that chooses the crop insurance supplement coverage program referred to as STAX had to withdraw their farms from the ARC/PLC seed cotton base participation before March 15 to be eligible for STAX coverage. As 2022 acreage reporting progresses, if a farm has no cotton planted on it for 2022, then the producer can re-enroll that farm in the 2022 seed cotton ARC/PLC program.
Congress can legislate and authorize a federal disaster program to be administered by FSA at any time. The FY 2022 Continuing Resolution passed in September, to keep the government running, had legislation in it to provide a 2020 and 2021 disaster program to cover losses above what federal crop insurance covered. USDA has announced Phase 1 of the Emergency Relief Program and it covers only producers that received a claim for crop insurance for yield loss in either or both years. Applications were mailed out to the producers in this category. FSA is currently processing those applications.
A new early release program announced by the Secretary of Agriculture recently allows CRP producers with 2022 Expiring CRP contracts to request the ability to begin preparation for a new use of the CRP acreage. The early release does not affect the final CRP payment under the CRP contract that will be issued in October. Producers must wait to begin any cover removal until after the Aug. 15 end of the primary nesting season on any early released CRP. Interested producers should contact FSA to request the early release.
This early release was announced by letter to participants with 2022 expiring CRP contracts. If a participant has already submitted an offer to reenroll the expiring CRP acreage, this early release option will have no bearing on that reoffer that is being processed.
