Crop Quality Loss Payments The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency recently announced signup for the Quality Loss Adjustment program. Funded by the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2020, this new program provides assistance to producers who suffered eligible crop quality losses due to natural disasters occurring in 2018 and 2019. The deadline to apply for QLA is March ... Read More »
2020 Crop Estimate Peanut production is forecast by the U.S. Department of Agriculture at 6.64 billion pounds, down 1% from the previous forecast but up 22% from the revised 2019 total of 5.47 billion pounds. Harvested area is expected to total 1.62 million acres, up 17% from 2019. Based on Nov. 1 conditions, the average yield is forecast at 4,093 ... Read More »
United Voice On Legislation Peanut growers, shellers and buying points have formed the United States Peanut Federation to serve as a unified voice in Washington, D.C., and advocate for strong agricultural policy. USPF’s mission is to protect, promote and improve business conditions for those in the peanut industry. U.S. Rep. Sanford Bishop, chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, ... Read More »
Coronavirus Food Assistance Program By the first week of June, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farmers to Families Food Box Program had distributed more than 5 million food boxes in support of American farmers and families affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. “The Farmers to Families Food Box Program was designed to put ... Read More »
The Alabama Peanut Producers Association donated 14,400 jars of peanut butter to the Alabama Food Bank Association to assist eight regional food banks with feeding their communities. The COVID-19 pandemic has put a strain on hunger-relief efforts around the state, and peanut butter is a favorite item for food banks, according to a news release. “Alabama peanut farmers are especially ... Read More »
More Assistance To Farmers, Ranchers Senate Agriculture Appropriations Committee Chairman John Hoeven recently announced the approval of $19 billion for the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program to support farmers and ranchers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The program includes $16 billion in direct payments to farmers and ranchers, and $3 billion in purchases of agriculture products, including meat, dairy and produce to ... Read More »
Loan Repayment Extension Producers now have more time to repay marketing assistance loans as part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s implementation of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act of 2020. The loans now mature at 12 months rather than nine, and this flexibility is available for most commodities. The extension applies to nonrecourse loans for crop years ... Read More »
Farm Recovery Grant Approved In 2018, Georgia agriculture suffered a $2.5-billion economic loss from Hurricane Michael. Since then, the Georgia Department of Agriculture and commodity commissions have worked with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to reach an agreement on a disaster relief package. In November 2019, USDA allocated $347 million for Georgia farmers and landowners. The GDA is now accepting ... Read More »
Program Enrollment Deadline The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency encourages producers to enroll now in the agriculture risk or price loss coverage programs. Sign up for the 2019 crop year closes March 15, 2020, while sign up for the 2020 crop year closes June 30, 2020. Producers who have not yet enrolled for 2019 can enroll for both ... Read More »
Peanut production is forecast at 5.64 billion pounds for 2019, up 3% from 2018. Harvested area is expected to total 1.38 million acres, up 1% from 2018. The average yield is forecast at 4,080 pounds per acre, up 79 pounds from the 2018 average yield. Record yields were forecast in Florida and North Carolina. In the first week of January, ... Read More »
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