Farm Service Agency (FSA)
MFU sends comments opposing Farm Service Agency office closings
St. Paul (February 13, 2012) – Minnesota Farmers Union President Doug Peterson today sent a comment on behalf of the membership of the Minnesota Farmers Union (MFU) to State Farm Service Agency Executive Director Linda Hennen opposing the consolidation and closing of FSA offices in Scott, Pine, Chisago, Waseca, and Nicollet Counties.
“While we understand the predicament that the Agency is in and the constraints it now faces, our members feel closing the offices ultimately reduces services, makes it harder for our members to travel to offices, reduces the power of county committees, makes it harder for new farmers to connect in their area, and ultimately leads to more consolidation in agriculture. It does not save enough money to justify the closings,” said MFU President Doug Peterson.
MFU members and staff attended the public meetings the Agency held this past month, and MFU’s Full Board of Directors voted recently to publicly oppose the consolidations and closings.
USDA Names Individuals to Farm Service Agency State Committee in Minnesota
From the United States Department of Agriculture:
Farm program signup is no walk in the park this year
(February 17, 2009) - Major changes in crop programs are usually accompanied by uncertainty on the part of farmers. The late passage of the 1996 Farm Bill and its radically new provisions had farmers scratching their heads as they struggled to understand AMTA payments (Agricultural Market Transition Act) and the Marketing Loan Program with its Loan Deficiency Payments and Marketing Loan Gain provisions.
By way of contrast, farm bills, like the 2002 legislation, that make only incremental changes are taken in stride. Farmers, along with their bankers and CPAs, know what to expect and the uncertainty is low.
The 2008 Farm Bill included a new program ACRE (Average Crop Revenue Election) that would reduce Direct Payments (by 20%), replace the Counter-Cyclical Payment program, and lower the rate for marketing loan payments (by 30%). Farmers must decide whether to switch to the ACRE program or continue to use the current set of payment programs.