01/27/09 USDA extends comment period on payment limit rule

Farm and Ranch January 27, 2009 Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack yesterday announced he will extend the comment period for the 2008 Farm Bill Farm Program Payment Limitation and Payment Eligibility rulemaking process. Vilsack: "As it relates to payment limits we are extending that for 60 days. And the reason we are extending it for 60 days and focusing on future crop years not the current crop year, is that we want people to have sufficient opportunity to comment on the rule. Allow us to make sure that in future years, after the 2009 crop year, that we do all that we can possibly do to make sure that payments that farmers are entitled to receive are received by those entitled to receive them and that we significantly limit and reduce the number of times the payments are going to people that aren't eligible." Vilsack emphasized the move in no way signals the rules will be modified for the 2009 crop year. He said sign up has begun and it is important that clear and consistent rules remain in place so that producers can prepare for the crop year and manage their risk appropriately. To date, the USDA has only received seven comments on the payment limit rule and Vilsack says that by extending the comment period additional farmers and other interested parties will have the opportunity to comment. Several agriculture and commodity groups, including the National Association of Wheat Growers, had asked for the comment extension past March 29th citing the complexity of the rule and its potential impact on farmers. I'm Bob Hoff and that's the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report on the Northwest Ag Information Network.