09/29/08 Major deadlines tomorrow for DCP and crop insurance

Farm and Ranch September 29, 2008 There are a couple of deadlines tomorrow of significance to agricultural producers. In the Pacific Northwest Tuesday is the sales closing date on crop insurance for several crops including wheat and fall planted barley with winter coverage. September 30th is also the deadline for mint with winter coverage, forage production in Klamath and Malheur counties in Oregon and the forage alfalfa seed pilot available in selected northwest counties. The USDA's Risk Management Agency reminds producers that there is now a link between Federal crop insurance and Farm Service Agency Supplemental Agricultural Disaster Assistance programs for the 2009 crop year. Growers need some type of insurance coverage to be eligible for the disaster programs. USDA Farm Service Agency deputy administrator John Johnson says Tuesday is also the deadline to sign up for Direct and Counter Cyclical Payment Program or DCP. And it's a rigid deadline. Johnson: "The Federal Register notice that was published for the DCP program requires us to get this job done by September 30th." Johnson adds that producers with Level II E-Authentication to USDA's website can also sign up for DCP online. Johnson: "We have had a small number of producers do that. We would like to see more do that and take advantage of that option. But today the vast majority of folks still prefer to go into the county office and process this in person. But whatever way the do it, they need to get it done by September 30." I'm Bob Hoff and that's the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report on the Northwest Ag Information Network.