Farm Service Agency – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Continuation of Farm Service Agency's Conservation Reserve Program
Document Number: 2024-04288
Type: Notice
Date: 2024-03-01
Agency: Department of Agriculture, Farm Service Agency
The Further Continuing Appropriations and Other Extensions Act, 2024, extended the authorization of the Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018 (2018 Farm Bill), through September 30, 2024, for the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), a Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) program administered by the Farm Service Agency (FSA). This notice provides information about CRP, which has been extended until September 30, 2024. CRP will be administered by and through its current terms and procedures.
Revised Loan Volume Requirements for the Preferred Lender Program and the Certified Lender Program
Document Number: 2024-03687
Type: Notice
Date: 2024-02-23
Agency: Department of Agriculture, Farm Service Agency
The Farm Service Agency (FSA) announces the revised loan volume eligibility criteria for existing lenders participating in the Preferred Lender Program (PLP) for FSA guaranteed loans or who have recently participated in PLP but lost that status due to loan volume requirements and wish to reapply. Due to decreased loan demand, many former PLP lenders, who would have otherwise been expected to have renewed their PLP status, have been unable to qualify for the renewal of their status in PLP within the past 5 years due solely to loan volume requirements. This document applies lower loan volume eligibility criteria to PLP lenders who renew their PLP status and to former PLP lenders who reapply for PLP status after losing that status because they were unable to renew due solely to decreased loan volume within the 5 years immediately preceding the date of this notice. FSA also announces the revised loan volume eligibility criteria for all lenders participating in the Certified Lender Program (CLP) for FSA guaranteed loans due to the same decreased loan demand discussed previously. This document applies less restrictive loan volume eligibility criteria to all lenders currently participating in the CLP program and lenders applying to participate in the CLP program.
Information Collection Request; Volunteer Program
Document Number: 2024-02156
Type: Notice
Date: 2024-02-05
Agency: Department of Agriculture, Farm Service Agency
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act, the Farm Service Agency (FSA) is requesting comments from all interested individuals and organizations on an extension of a currently approved information collection associated with the Volunteer Program.
Information Collection Request; County Committee Elections
Document Number: 2023-27969
Type: Notice
Date: 2023-12-20
Agency: Department of Agriculture, Farm Service Agency
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Farm Service Agency (FSA) is requesting comments from all interested individuals and entities on an extension of a currently approved information collection associated with FSA county committee elections. The collection of information from FSA farmers and ranchers is used to receive nominations from eligible voters for the FSA county committee.
Request for Information on Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act (AFIDA) FSA-153 Form Modernization and Information Collection Request
Document Number: 2023-27683
Type: Notice
Date: 2023-12-18
Agency: Department of Agriculture, Farm Service Agency
The Farm Service Agency (FSA) is requesting information on proposed revisions to the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act Report (FSA-153 form). The FSA-153 requires updating. Specifically, the FSA-153 form needs clarification and updating to ensure that foreign owners (or long-term lessees) who are required to file the FSA- 153 form have clear instructions and that USDA is collecting the most precise and meaningful data, so that the report to Congress is as accurate and insightful as possible. Foreign owners are investors who buy, sell, or hold a direct or indirect interest in U.S. agricultural land (or who hold long-term leases on agricultural land) and must report their holdings and transactions to USDA on the FSA-153 form. USDA uses the information on the submitted forms to generate the report that it submits to Congress. FSA is moving towards modernizing the collection of information process, clarifying and modernizing the FSA- 153 form, and if funding becomes available, creating an electronic submission system that will allow foreign owners to report by filing electronically. In addition, this document requests public input for our plan to revise not only the information request, but ultimately, the regulation (which will likely result in further modifications at a later date to the FSA-153 form).
Information Collection Request; Urban Agriculture Cooperative Agreement
Document Number: 2023-24413
Type: Notice
Date: 2023-11-06
Agency: Department of Agriculture, Farm Service Agency
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act, the Farm Service Agency (FSA) is requesting comments from all interested individuals and organizations on a new information collection request associated with Urban Agriculture Cooperative Agreements. The awarded cooperators are assisting FSA in providing outreach, education, resources, and technical assistance for urban agriculture producers to access USDA programs and focus on long-term food sovereignty in historically marginalized and underfunded communities.
Notice of Funds Availability; Emergency Relief Program 2022 (ERP 2022)
Document Number: 2023-24009
Type: Notice
Date: 2023-10-31
Agency: Department of Agriculture, Farm Service Agency
The Farm Service Agency (FSA) is issuing this notice announcing ERP 2022, which will provide payments to eligible crop producers for losses due to qualifying disaster events including wildfires, hurricanes, floods, derechos, excessive heat, tornadoes, winter storms, freeze (including a polar vortex), smoke exposure, excessive moisture, qualifying drought, and related conditions that occurred in calendar year 2022. ERP 2022 will be administered through 2 tracks (referred to as Track 1 and Track 2). Track 1 will assist eligible crop producers who received indemnities for eligible crop or tree losses through certain Federal crop insurance policies or payments for crop losses through the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP). Track 2 will assist eligible crop producers for other eligible crop and tree losses through a revenue-based approach.
Special Authority To Enable Funding of Broadband and Smart Utility Facilities Across Select Rural Development Programs
Document Number: 2023-23070
Type: Rule
Date: 2023-10-19
Agency: Department of Agriculture, Farm Service Agency, Rural Business-Cooperative Service, Rural Housing Service, Rural Utilities Service
The Rural Utilities Service, Rural Business-Cooperative Service, and Rural Housing Service, agencies that comprise the Rural Development (RD) Mission Area within the United States Department of Agriculture, published a final rule with comment in the Federal Register on September 15, 2020, to establish the special authority authorized by Section 6210 of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, which will assist rural families and small businesses in gaining access to broadband service by permitting recipients of loans, grants, and loan guarantees from RD to use up to 10 percent of the amount provided to construct broadband infrastructure in areas not served by the minimum acceptable level of broadband service. The final rule described the procedures by which these agencies will consider projects eligible for special broadband authority. Through this action, the agencies are confirming the final rule as it was published and providing responses to the public comments that were received.
Notice of Funds Availability; 2021 Emergency Livestock Relief Program (ELRP) Phase 2
Document Number: 2023-21088
Type: Notice
Date: 2023-09-27
Agency: Department of Agriculture, Farm Service Agency
The Farm Service Agency (FSA) is issuing this notice announcing ELRP Phase 2. This document provides the eligibility requirements and payment calculation for the second phase of ELRP assistance. ELRP Phase 2 will provide assistance to eligible livestock producers for the loss of the value of winter forage from the deterioration of grazing cover due to a qualifying drought or wildfire during the 2021 normal grazing period, which has been exacerbated by a continued lack of precipitation. This document also makes a correction and amendment to ELRP Phase 1.
Notice of Funds Availability; Emergency Livestock Relief Program (ELRP) 2022
Document Number: 2023-21068
Type: Notice
Date: 2023-09-27
Agency: Department of Agriculture, Farm Service Agency
The Farm Service Agency (FSA) is issuing this notice announcing ELRP 2022. This document provides the eligibility requirements and payment calculation for ELRP 2022 assistance. ELRP 2022 will provide payments to producers who faced increased supplemental feed costs as a result of forage losses due to a qualifying drought or wildfire in calendar year 2022, using data already submitted to FSA through the Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP).
Information Collection Request; Certified State Mediation Program
Document Number: 2023-20667
Type: Notice
Date: 2023-09-25
Agency: Department of Agriculture, Farm Service Agency
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act, the Farm Service Agency (FSA) is requesting comments from all interested individuals and organizations on a revision of a currently approved information collection that supports the Certified State Mediation Program. The information collection is necessary to ensure that the grant program is administered properly. The collection of information is used to determine whether participants meet the eligibility requirements to be a recipient of grant funds. Lack of adequate information to make the determination could result in the improper administration of Federal grant funds.
Information Collection Requests; Generic Clearance for the Collection of Qualitative Customer Feedback on the Service Delivery (0560-0286)
Document Number: 2023-20210
Type: Notice
Date: 2023-09-19
Agency: Department of Agriculture, Farm Service Agency
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA), the Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) is requesting comments from all interested individuals and organizations on an extension of a currently approved Generic Clearance for the Collection of Qualitative Customer Feedback on the Service Delivery (0560-0286). The Farm Service Agency (FSA) initially received the PRA approval for this information collection request and has expanded it to cover all four of the agencies in the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) mission area. FPAC uses the approval to cover the surveys, window pop-up surveys, focus groups, beta testing new or revised electronic systems, comment cards, and other information collection instruments or methods, which are designed to get customer feedback on service delivery for various programs administered by any of the FPAC agencies. This request for approval broadly addresses the need for information about what our customers think of our services so that we can improve service delivery; specific information collection activities will be incorporated into the approval as the need for the information is identified. For example, when we implement a new program and provide information about the services for the program on our website, we may provide a voluntary customer service questionnaire about how well the program is working for our customers, specifically within the area of customer service.
Milk Loss Program and Emergency Relief Program
Document Number: 2023-19479
Type: Rule
Date: 2023-09-11
Agency: Department of Agriculture, Farm Service Agency
This rule establishes provisions for providing agricultural disaster assistance as authorized by the Extending Government Funding and Delivering Emergency Assistance Act of 2021 and the Disaster Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2023. The assistance will be for 2020, 2021, and 2022 milk losses. The Milk Loss Program will provide payments to eligible dairy operations for milk that was dumped or removed without compensation from the commercial milk market due to disaster events including droughts, wildfires, hurricanes, floods, derechos, excessive heat, winter storms, freeze (including a polar vortex), and smoke exposure that occurred in the 2020, 2021, and 2022 calendar years. Additionally, the Disaster Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2023, also authorizes assistance for eligible milk losses due to tornadoes that occurred in 2022. This rule specifies the administrative provisions, eligibility requirements, application procedures, and payment calculations for the Milk Loss Program. This rule also makes corrections to Phase 2 of the Emergency Relief Program (ERP).
Information Collection Requests; Disaster Assistance-General (0560-0170); Transfer of Farm Records Between Counties (0560-0253); Customer Data Worksheet Request for Business Partner Record Change (0560-0265)
Document Number: 2023-18828
Type: Notice
Date: 2023-08-31
Agency: Department of Agriculture, Farm Service Agency
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) requirement, the Farm Service Agency (FSA) is requesting comments from all interested individuals and organizations on the three Farm Programs' information collection requests. The three collection requests in the Farm Programs are: Disaster AssistanceGeneral (0560- 0170), Transfer of Records between Counties (0560-0253) and Customer Data Worksheet Request for Business Partner Record (0560-0265). In the Disaster AssistanceGeneral, the information collection is needed to identify disaster areas and establish eligibility for both primary disaster counties and those counties contiguous to such disaster counties for assistance from FSA. This assistance includes FSA emergency loans which are available to eligible and qualified farmers and ranchers. In the Customer Data Worksheet Request for Business Partner Record, FSA is using the collected information in support of documenting critical producer data (for example, customer name, current mailing address, tax identification number) made at the request of the producer to obtain, correct or update their information. In the Transfer of Records Between Counties, FSA is using the collected information to approve or disapprove the transfer of farm records from one FSA county office to another.
Information Collection Request; Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) and Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP)
Document Number: 2023-17952
Type: Notice
Date: 2023-08-21
Agency: Department of Agriculture, Farm Service Agency
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act, the Farm Service Agency (FSA) is requesting comments from all interested individuals and organizations on a revision of currently approved information collection associated with the Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) and Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP). The revision will include new forms related to ECP that will accompany new software to be implemented fiscal year 2024. The existing forms for prior ECP contracts will remain in use until contracts executed prior to fiscal year 2024 are closed.
Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) for the Emergency Grain Storage Facility Assistance Program (EGSFP)
Document Number: 2023-16745
Type: Notice
Date: 2023-08-07
Agency: Department of Agriculture, Farm Service Agency
The Farm Service Agency (FSA) is announcing an increase in the initial funding for EGSFP to $80 million, which will be the final funding amount for the program, from the initially announced $20 million due to the high demand for EGSFP. FSA published a notice of funding availability (NOFA) notice on March 16, 2023, announcing the availability of $20 million for EGSFP. EGSFP provides financial assistance to eligible grain producers who were affected by an eligible disaster event that damaged or destroyed local commercial grain elevators. EGSFP is cost-share assistance to construct storage facilities needed to meet on-farm grain storage capacity and handling needs necessary to support the marketing of grain for producers. This notice updates the initial funding amount for the program from $20 million to $80 million and closes the application period for the program due to the current volume of applications received. This notice will not change any other information in the original EGSFP NOFA.
Application Fast Track Pilot Program
Document Number: 2023-16489
Type: Notice
Date: 2023-08-03
Agency: Department of Agriculture, Farm Service Agency
The Farm Service Agency (FSA) is announcing a pilot program called ``Application Fast Track'' that will expedite the processing of direct Operating Loans (OL) and Farm Ownership Loans (FO) to family farmers and ranchers if qualified. The Application Fast Track Pilot Program (AFT) provides an alternative underwriting process for applicants that meet certain financial benchmarks. AFT will be available in selected pilot office locations beginning August 7, 2023, and will be available in all locations nationwide beginning January 1, 2024. AFT will run through September 30, 2024. The Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (CONACT) authorizes pilot projects of limited scope and duration to evaluate processes and techniques to improve program efficiency and effectiveness.
Information Collection Request; Online Loan Application for Direct Loan Making Program and Direct Loan Servicing
Document Number: 2023-15536
Type: Notice
Date: 2023-07-21
Agency: Department of Agriculture, Farm Service Agency
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) requirements, the Farm Service Agency (FSA) is requesting comments from all interested individuals and organizations on a new collection associated with the new automated FSA Online Loan Application for Direct Loan Making Program and Direct Loan ServicingPrimary. For both Direct Loan Making and Direct Loan ServicingPrimary, the collected information is used in eligibility and feasibility determinations for loan making and loan servicing actions. Future releases of the FSA Online Loan Application will provide additional functionality and components for Direct Loan Making & Direct Loan ServicingPrimary applications.
Pandemic Assistance Programs and Agricultural Disaster Assistance Programs
Document Number: 2023-12912
Type: Rule
Date: 2023-06-20
Agency: Department of Agriculture, Farm Service Agency
The Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) and the Farm Service Agency (FSA) are making technical corrections to certain regulations that were published on January 11, 2023. These technical corrections will be made to: Phase 2 of the Emergency Relief Program (ERP); the Emergency Conservation Program (ECP); and the Emergency Forest Restoration Program (EFRP).
Notice of Funds Availability (NOFA) for the Organic Dairy Marketing Assistance Program
Document Number: 2023-11030
Type: Notice
Date: 2023-05-24
Agency: Department of Agriculture, Commodity Credit Corporation, Farm Service Agency
The Farm Service Agency (FSA), on behalf of the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC), is announcing the availability of marketing assistance funding to organic dairy operations in the United States. Eligible Organic Dairy Marketing Assistance Program (ODMAP) participants will receive a one-time payment to assist with projected marketing costs for 2023, calculated based on a cost share of marketing costs on the pounds of organic milk marketed for the 2022 calendar year (or a projection of 2023 pounds of organic milk marketed if warranted in certain situations supported by documentation), not to exceed 5 million pounds per operation to target smaller organic dairy operations. ODMAP payments will assist organic dairy producers in expanding the market for organic dairy and increasing the consumption of organic dairy, through the continued marketing of organic dairy, as these operations face a variety of marketing challenges and input cost increases and supply chain-related shortages.
Information Collection Requests; Guaranteed Farm Loan Program (OMB Control Number 0560-0155) and General Program Administration (OMB Control Number 0560-0238)
Document Number: 2023-10910
Type: Notice
Date: 2023-05-23
Agency: Department of Agriculture, Farm Service Agency
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) requirement, the Farm Service Agency (FSA) is requesting comments from all interested individuals and organizations on the two Farm Loan Programs' information collection requests. FSA is also requesting an extension with a revision for those currently approved information collection requests. The two collection requests in the Farm Loan Programs are: Guaranteed Farm Loan Program and General Program Administration. In the General Program Administration, the information collected is used to ensure that applicants meet statutory eligibility requirements, loan funds are used for authorized purposes, and the Government's interest in security is adequately protected. In the Guaranteed Farm Loan Program, the collected information is needed to make and service loans guaranteed by FSA to eligible farmers and ranchers by commercial lenders and nontraditional lenders.
Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) for the Rice Production Program
Document Number: 2023-09945
Type: Notice
Date: 2023-05-10
Agency: Department of Agriculture, Farm Service Agency
The Farm Service Agency (FSA) is announcing the availability of funding for the Rice Production Program (RPP) to provide financial assistance to rice producers affected by higher production costs during the 2022 crop year. RPP will provide a one-time payment to assist rice producers with additional expenses associated with the 2022 crop year costs for rice. In this document, FSA is providing the eligibility requirements, application process, and payment calculation for RPP.
Information Collection Request; Power of Attorney
Document Number: 2023-09213
Type: Notice
Date: 2023-05-02
Agency: Department of Agriculture, Farm Service Agency
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act requirement, the Farm Service Agency (FSA) is requesting comments from all interested individuals and organizations on an extension and a revision of a currently approved information collection associated with the form of the Power of Attorney. This information collection is used to support the FSA, Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) and Risk Management Agency (RMA) in conducting business and accepting signatures on certain documents from individuals acting on behalf of other individuals or entities.
Information Collection Requests; Direct Loan Servicing-Regular; and Servicing Minor Program Loans
Document Number: 2023-05464
Type: Notice
Date: 2023-03-17
Agency: Department of Agriculture, Farm Service Agency
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) requirement, the Farm Service Agency (FSA) is requesting comments from all interested individuals and organizations on a revision of two currently approved information collection requests, Direct Loan ServicingRegular and Servicing Minor Program Loans, respectively. In the Direct Loan ServicingRegular, the information is used to determine borrower compliance with loan agreements, assist the borrower in achieving business goals, and regular servicing of the loan account such as graduation, subordination, partial release, use of proceeds, and consent. In Servicing Minor Program Loans, the information collected is used to perform routine and special servicing actions for loans authorized and serviced under FSA's Minor Loan Program.
Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA); Emergency Grain Storage Facility Assistance Program
Document Number: 2023-05331
Type: Notice
Date: 2023-03-16
Agency: Department of Agriculture, Farm Service Agency
The Farm Service Agency (FSA) is announcing the availability of funding to assist grain producers because eligible disaster events damaged or destroyed local commercial grain facilities. To assist producers in the impacted areas, FSA will provide financial assistance under the Emergency Grain Storage Facility Assistance Program (EGSFP). Eligible grain producers in affected counties impacted by eligible disaster events that damaged or destroyed local commercial grain elevators from December 1, 2021, to August 1, 2022, may be eligible for cost-share assistance to construct needed storage facilities to meet on-farm grain storage capacity and handling needs necessary to support the marketing of grain. Grain producers in affected counties in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota, Tennessee and any other affected counties as determined and announced by the Deputy Administrator for Farm Programs (DAFP) are eligible to apply.
Information Collection Request; Inventory Property Management
Document Number: 2023-03211
Type: Notice
Date: 2023-02-15
Agency: Department of Agriculture, Farm Service Agency
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Farm Service Agency (FSA) is requesting comments from all interested individuals and organizations on an extension with a revision of a current information collection request for Inventory Property Management. For Inventory Property Management, the collected information is used to evaluate applicant requests to purchase inventory property, determine eligibility to lease or purchase inventory property, and ensure the payment of the lease amount or purchase amount associated with the acquisition of inventory property.
Information Collection Request; Increasing Land, Capital, and Market Access Program
Document Number: 2023-01754
Type: Notice
Date: 2023-01-30
Agency: Department of Agriculture, Farm Service Agency
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Farm Service Agency (FSA) is requesting comments from all interested individuals and organizations on an information collection request associated with the Increasing Land, Capital, and Market Access grant and cooperative agreement activity. The purpose of the Increasing Land, Capital, and Market Access Program is to fund projects that support a diverse set of farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners (producers) on the edge financially; moving them from surviving to thriving as they address core barriers to attain land, capital, and market access.
Pandemic Assistance Programs and Agricultural Disaster Assistance Programs
Document Number: 2023-00005
Type: Rule
Date: 2023-01-11
Agency: Department of Agriculture, Commodity Credit Corporation, Farm Service Agency, Office of the Secretary
This rule announces Phase 2 of the Emergency Relief Program (ERP), which provides assistance to producers who suffered crop losses due to wildfires, hurricanes, floods, derechos, excessive heat, winter storms, freeze (including a polar vortex), smoke exposure, excessive moisture, and qualifying droughts occurring in calendar years 2020 and 2021. It also announces Pandemic Assistance Revenue Program (PARP), a new program that provides support for agricultural producers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, this rule makes changes to the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP); the Emergency Conservation Program (ECP); the Emergency Forest Restoration Program (EFRP); the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP); the Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP); the Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP); the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP); and general payment eligibility provisions. This rule also makes a technical correction to the Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP).
Information Collection Request; Application for Payment of Amounts Due Persons Who Have Died, Disappeared, or Have Been Declared Incompetent
Document Number: 2022-28106
Type: Notice
Date: 2022-12-27
Agency: Department of Agriculture, Commodity Credit Corporation, Farm Service Agency
The Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) and the Farm Service Agency (FSA) are making a correction to the notice that was published on December 6, 2022. We are making a minor correction specifically in the description of the information collection request section to correct a typographical error in a number.
Information Collection Request; Application for Payment of Amounts Due Persons Who Have Died, Disappeared, or Have Been Declared Incompetent
Document Number: 2022-26446
Type: Notice
Date: 2022-12-06
Agency: Department of Agriculture, Commodity Credit Corporation, Farm Service Agency
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) and the Farm Service Agency (FSA) are requesting comments from all interested individuals and organizations on an extension of a currently approved information collection. CCC and FSA use the information to determine whether representatives or survivors of a producer are entitled to receive payments earned by a producer who dies, disappears, or is declared incompetent before receiving payments or other disbursements.
Information Collection Request; Organic Certification Cost Share Program
Document Number: 2022-25086
Type: Notice
Date: 2022-11-18
Agency: Department of Agriculture, Farm Service Agency
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Farm Service Agency (FSA) is requesting comments from all interested individuals and organizations on an extension of a current information collection request associated with the Organic Certification Cost Share Program (OCCSP). OCCSP provides cost share assistance to producers and handlers of agricultural products who are obtaining or renewing their certification under the National Organic Program (NOP). Certified operations may receive up to 50 percent of their certification costs paid, up to a maximum of $500 for each of the following scopes: crops, wild crops, livestock, processing/handling, and State organic program fees. Certain State agencies also submit applications to FSA to administer OCCSP in their States.
Request for Information and Stakeholder Listening Sessions on Farm Labor Stabilization and Protection Pilot Program
Document Number: 2022-20677
Type: Notice
Date: 2022-09-23
Agency: Department of Agriculture, Farm Service Agency
The Farm Service Agency (FSA) is hosting three listening sessions for public input about a recently announced planned farm labor stabilization and protection pilot grant program focused on improving the resiliency of our food and agricultural supply chain by addressing current labor shortages in agriculture, reducing irregular migration through increased use of legal pathways, and improving labor protections for farmworkers. FSA is interested in input from agricultural employer organizations, labor unions, farmworker advocates, farmworkers, and other relevant stakeholders. We invite stakeholders to participate in the listening session that best aligns with the perspective they are able and willing to offer to FSA. All listening sessions will be posted publicly and open to the public for registration.
Information Collection Request; In-Person and Online Registration for FSA-Hosted Events and Conferences
Document Number: 2022-20266
Type: Notice
Date: 2022-09-20
Agency: Department of Agriculture, Farm Service Agency
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Farm Service Agency (FSA) is requesting comments from all interested individuals and organizations on a revision and an extension of the information collection associated with online and in-person registration for FSA-hosted events and conferences. The information collection is needed for FSA to obtain information from the respondents who register on the internet to access and make preparation for participation in events, and when necessary, to make payment and reservations to attend any FSA-hosted conferences and events. Additionally, the demographic data collected through this information collection assists FSA in monitoring its outreach and engagement of farmers and ranchers.
Information Collection Requests; Direct Loan Making; Direct Loan Servicing-Regular; Servicing Minor Program Loans
Document Number: 2022-20250
Type: Notice
Date: 2022-09-20
Agency: Department of Agriculture, Farm Service Agency
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, the Farm Service Agency (FSA) is requesting comments from all interested individuals and organizations on a revision of three currently approved information collection associated with Direct Loan Making Program, Direct Loan ServicingRegular and Servicing Minor Program Loans. For Direct Loan Making, the collected information is used in eligibility and feasibility determinations on farm loan applications. In the Direct Loan ServicingRegular, the information is used to determine borrower compliance with loan agreements, assist the borrower in achieving business goals, and regular servicing of the loan account such as graduation, subordination, partial release, and use of proceeds. In Servicing Minor Program Loans, the information collected is used to perform routine and special servicing actions for loans authorized and serviced under FSA's Minor Loan Program.
Information Collection Request; Direct Loan Making
Document Number: 2022-18869
Type: Notice
Date: 2022-08-31
Agency: Department of Agriculture, Farm Service Agency
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, the Farm Service Agency (FSA) is requesting comments from all interested individuals and organizations on a revision and an extension of a currently approved information collection associated with Direct Loan Making Program. The collected information is used in eligibility and feasibility determinations on farm loan applications.
Request for Applications for Heirs' Property Relending Program
Document Number: 2022-18608
Type: Notice
Date: 2022-08-30
Agency: Department of Agriculture, Farm Service Agency
The Farm Service Agency (FSA) is announcing the opportunity for interested eligible entities, including cooperatives, credit unions, and nonprofit organizations certified to operate as a lender, to apply for loans under the Heirs' Property Relending Program (HPRP). Approved entities will serve as intermediaries who will relend HPRP funds for projects that assist heirs with undivided ownership interests to resolve ownership and succession issues on farmland that has multiple owners (commonly referred to as ``Heirs' property'').
Emergency Livestock Relief Program (ELRP) and Emergency Relief Program (ERP) Clarification
Document Number: 2022-17795
Type: Notice
Date: 2022-08-18
Agency: Department of Agriculture, Farm Service Agency
The Farm Service Agency (FSA) is amending the definition of ``income derived from farming, ranching, and forestry operations'' for ELRP and ERP and clarifying policy around the filing of certifications of average adjusted gross farm income. FSA is clarifying the ERP Phase 1 policy related to producers who received both a crop insurance indemnity and a Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) payment. FSA is also amending ERP Phase 1 to include eligibility for Federal Crop Insurance policies with an intended use for nursery.
Notice of Funds Availability; Spot Market Hog Pandemic Program (SMHPP)
Document Number: 2022-05672
Type: Notice
Date: 2022-03-18
Agency: Department of Agriculture, Farm Service Agency
The Farm Service Agency (FSA) published a notice on December 14, 2021, announcing the availability of $50 million for the Spot Market Hog Pandemic Program (SMHPP). This document clarifies hog eligibility, documentation requirements, and payment factoring. SMHPP assists producers who sold hogs through a spot market sale from April 16, 2020, through September 1, 2020, the period during which these producers faced the greatest reduction in market prices due to the COVID-19 pandemic. SMHPP excludes non-adult pigs or other swine that were not intended for slaughter. SMHPP also excludes hogs sold under contracts that had a premium or other formula outside a spot market sale. The eligibility requirements, payment calculation, and application procedure for SMHPP are included in this notice.
Farm Loan Programs; Direct and Guaranteed Loan Changes, Certified Mediation Program, and Guaranteed Loans Maximum Interest Rates
Document Number: 2022-04858
Type: Rule
Date: 2022-03-09
Agency: Department of Agriculture, Farm Service Agency
The Farm Service Agency (FSA) amends the Farm Loan Programs (FLP) regulations to implement certain provisions authorized by the Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018 (2018 Farm Bill). This rule revises the provisions on FLP loan limits, allows additional flexibility for loan applicants to meet the required farming experience, provides higher guarantee rates for lenders to provide credit to beginning farmers and socially disadvantaged farmers, provides additional program benefits for veterans, provides equitable relief to certain borrowers, allows borrowers who have received debt restructuring with a write down to receive Emergency loans (EM), and expands those issues that are covered under the agricultural Certified Mediation Program. In addition to the 2018 Farm Bill changes, FSA also amends the regulations for loan servicing relating to accepting cash payments and establishing a fee for dishonored checks; these are discretionary changes. The result of these changes will increase loan limits or improve the various loan programs to relieve some restrictions to participation or otherwise encourage participation. This rule also revises the way FSA will establish the maximum interest rates in response to the discontinuing publication of the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) interest rates. The result of these changes will enable FSA to provide clearer guidance on maximum interest rates and allow for more consistency across all lenders participating in the guaranteed loan program. In addition, this rule corrects references to supervised credit in the regulations.
Information Collection Request; Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act Report
Document Number: 2022-03487
Type: Notice
Date: 2022-02-18
Agency: Department of Agriculture, Farm Service Agency
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Farm Service Agency (FSA) is requesting comments from all interested individuals and organizations on a revision and an extension of a currently approved information collection request associated with the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act (AFIDA) of 1978.
Information Collection Request; Servicing Minor Program Loans
Document Number: 2022-03547
Type: Notice
Date: 2022-02-18
Agency: Department of Agriculture, Farm Service Agency
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Farm Service Agency (FSA) is requesting comments from all interested individuals and organizations on an extension of a currently approved information collection to support the Servicing Minor Program Loans.
Information Collection; Measurement Service Records
Document Number: 2022-01191
Type: Notice
Date: 2022-01-24
Agency: Department of Agriculture, Farm Service Agency
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Farm Service Agency (FSA) is requesting comments from all interested individuals and organizations on an extension of a currently approved information collection associated with the Measurement Service Records.
Information Collection Request; Request for Special Priorities Assistance
Document Number: 2022-00155
Type: Notice
Date: 2022-01-10
Agency: Department of Agriculture, Farm Service Agency
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Farm Service Agency (FSA) is requesting comments from all interested individuals and organizations on an extension of a currently approved information collection request associated with the Request for Special Priorities Assistance. The information collection established by the Agriculture Priorities and Allocations System (APAS) regulation is necessary for the program applicant (person) to request prioritizing of a contract above all other contracts. The purpose of the priority rating is to obtain item(s) in support of national defense programs that they are not able to obtain in time through normal market channels.
Information Collection Request; 2017 Wildfires and Hurricanes Indemnity Program (WHIP) and Quality Loss Adjustment (QLA) Program
Document Number: 2021-27080
Type: Notice
Date: 2021-12-15
Agency: Department of Agriculture, Farm Service Agency
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act, the Farm Service Agency (FSA) is requesting comments from all interested individuals and organizations on an extension of a currently approved information collection that supports the 2017 Wildfires and Hurricanes Indemnity Program (WHIP) and the Quality Loss Adjustment (QLA) Program. FSA provides payments to eligible producers who suffered eligible crop, tree, bush, and vine losses resulting from a qualifying disaster event. FSA also administers the QLA Program to provide financial assistance to eligible producers who experienced a crop quality loss due to a qualifying disaster event in calendar years 2018 or 2019. The qualifying disaster events are listed in the Background section below.
Notice of Funds Availability; Spot Market Hog Pandemic Program
Document Number: 2021-27015
Type: Notice
Date: 2021-12-14
Agency: Department of Agriculture, Farm Service Agency
The Farm Service Agency (FSA) is issuing this notice announcing the availability of $50 million for the new Spot Market Hog Pandemic Program (SMHPP) to provide assistance to producers that sold hogs through a negotiated sale from April 16, 2020, through September 1, 2020, the period in which these producers faced the greatest reduction in market prices due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The eligibility requirements, payment calculation, and application procedure for SMHPP are included in this notice.
Supplemental Dairy Margin Coverage Payment; Conservation Reserve Program; Dairy Indemnity Payment Program; Marketing Assistance Loans, Loan Deficiency Payments, and Sugar Loans; and Oriental Fruit Fly Program
Document Number: 2021-26827
Type: Rule
Date: 2021-12-13
Agency: Department of Agriculture, Commodity Credit Corporation, Farm Service Agency
This rule amends the regulations for Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) to allow supplemental DMC payments to participating eligible dairy operations. DMC provides dairy producers with risk management coverage that pays producers when the difference between the price of milk and the cost of feed (the margin) falls below a certain level. Eligible dairy operations with less than 5 million pounds of established production history may enroll supplemental pounds based upon a formula using 2019 actual milk marketings. Supplemental DMC coverage is applicable to calendar years 2021, 2022, and 2023. Participating dairy operations with supplemental production may receive supplemental payments in addition to payments based on their established production history. In addition, the rule amends the alfalfa hay calculation used in determining the average feed cost and actual dairy production margin. To end prolonged months of milk indemnity payments, the rule amends the regulations for Dairy Indemnity Payment Program (DIPP) to indemnify affected farmers for depopulating and permanently removing cows after discovery of chemical residues affecting the commercial marketing of milk for the applicable farm and likely affecting the marketability of cows for a lengthy duration. The rule also implements a new Oriental Fruit Fly (OFF) Program as authorized in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2019. In addition, the rule updates the existing Marketing Assistance Loans (MAL) and Loan Deficiency Payments (LDP) loan rates to be consistent with the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (the 2018 Farm Bill); the loan rates were already changed administratively because the loan rate changes were self-enacting. This rule also amends the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) regulations to remove two discretionary requirements.
Information Collection Request; Market Facilitation Program (MFP) Payments to Producers
Document Number: 2021-26708
Type: Notice
Date: 2021-12-10
Agency: Department of Agriculture, Farm Service Agency
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act, Farm Service Agency (FSA) is requesting comments from interested individuals and organizations on an extension of a currently approved information collection request associated with Market Facilitation Program (MFP). FSA, on the behalf of the Commodity Credit Corporation, is making payments to domestic crop and commodity producers. FSA is authorized to assist in the disposition of surplus commodities and to increase the domestic consumption of agricultural commodities by expanding or aiding in the expansion of domestic markets or by developing or aiding in the development of new and additional markets, marketing facilities, and uses for such commodities.
Information Collection Requests; Pandemic Livestock Indemnity Program (PLIP) and Pandemic Assistance for Timber and Haulers and Harvesters (PATHH)
Document Number: 2021-26080
Type: Notice
Date: 2021-11-30
Agency: Department of Agriculture, Farm Service Agency
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Farm Service Agency (FSA) is requesting comments from all interested individuals and organizations on an extension of a currently approved information collections associated with Pandemic Livestock Indemnity Program (PLIP) and Pandemic Assistance for Timber and Haulers and Harvesters (PATHH) Program. FSA is making PLIP payments to livestock and poultry producers for losses of livestock or poultry depopulated before December 27, 2020, due to insufficient processing access, based on 80 percent of the fair market value of the livestock and poultry, and for the cost of depopulation (other than costs already compensated under the Environmental Quality Incentives Program). FSA is also providing assistance to timber harvesting businesses and timber hauling businesses impacted by the effects of the COVID-19 Outbreak.
Notice of Funds Availability (NOFA) for the Organic and Transitional Education and Certification Program (OTECP)
Document Number: 2021-24384
Type: Notice
Date: 2021-11-05
Agency: Department of Agriculture, Farm Service Agency
The Farm Service Agency (FSA) is announcing the availability of $20 million through the new Organic and Transitional Education and Certification Program (OTECP) for certified operations and transitional operations that incurred eligible expenses in fiscal years (FY) 2020, 2021, and 2022. Producers and handlers incur significant costs to obtain or renew USDA organic certification each year, and the economic challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic have made obtaining and renewing USDA organic certification financially challenging for many operations. In this document, FSA is providing the eligibility requirements, application process, and payment calculation for OTECP.
Heirs' Property Relending Program (HPRP), Improving Farm Loan Program Delivery, and Streamlining Oversight Activities
Document Number: 2021-16459
Type: Rule
Date: 2021-08-09
Agency: Department of Agriculture, Farm Service Agency
The Farm Service Agency (FSA) is implementing a new Heirs' Property Relending Program (HPRP) authorized in the Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018 (the 2018 Farm Bill). HPRP provides loans to eligible entities to relend with the purpose of assisting heirs with undivided ownership interests resolve ownership and succession issues on farms that are owned in common by multiple heirs. The loan funds may be used by an ultimate recipient to purchase and consolidate fractional interests held by other heirs in jointly-owned property to pay for costs and fees associated with developing and implementing a succession plan, and to pay for costs associated with buying out fractional interests held in tenancy in common by other heirs in jointly-owned property to clear the title (for example closing costs, appraisals, title searches, surveys, preparing documents, mediation, and legal services). FSA is also amending the Farm Loan Programs (FLP) regulations to revise its rules related to loan making and servicing to improve program delivery and consolidate value-added oversight activities.
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