Changes Coming to FSA Offices

Changes Coming to FSA Offices

Changes Coming to FSA Offices

I’m Lacy Gray with Washington Ag Today.

MIDAS, a new computer system for the USDA Farm Service Agency, will combine both the FSA GIS components along with the agency’s farm records data. Judy Olson, Washington State Executive Director for the FSA, explains that not only will the upgrade be more efficient for FSA employees, but the new MIDAS computer system will benefit farmers as well.

OLSON: Once we get the entire conversion made their data will be all linked together, so there will be a complete profile of them and there will not be so many of these “ we have to put the same information in again in a different form. Their maps should be simplified and that should all be done in one change, if they have a change in operation when they visit the county office, rather than multiple changes - meaning that their file moves from desk to desk and sometimes things don’t happen in the order necessary.

Olson says that there is actually another benefit for producers.

OLSON: The other advantage to producers is that this is going to be web based software and web based applications. Currently, producers can get in and do a few of their procedures with FSA online. As we have more and more of our information as web based software and web accessible applications this is paving the way for expanding that opportunity.

Olson explains that while that probably will not happen this year it is a goal of the FSA to further make things more producer friendly, more county office friendly and more adaptable when Congress makes changes, and that this quicker processing system should ultimately result in quicker payments for producers.

 

I’m Lacy Gray and that’s Washington Ag Today on the Ag Information Network. 

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