USDA Announces No Partial 2007 Crop Year Counter-Cyclical Payments

The U.S. Department of Agriculture today announced that because market prices are high, producers with wheat, barley or oats base acres who are enrolled in USDA’s Direct and Counter-cyclical Payment Program will not receive partial 2007-crop year counter-cyclical payments.

Producers enrolled in the program may receive counter-cyclical payments when effective prices for eligible commodities are less than their respective target prices specified in the 2002 Farm Bill. USDA calculates these program payments based on historical base acreage and payment yields, not current production. USDA used the November World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates Report, which was released on Nov. 9, 2007, to project these rates and determined that the effective prices exceed their respective target prices.

Any partial payments for producers with upland cotton, rice or peanut base acres will be announced on or after Feb. 1, 2008. Any partial payments for producers with corn, grain sorghum or soybean base acres will be announced on or after March 1, 2008.

By statute, the 2007 crop counter-cyclical payments can be made in only two installments, a change from prior crop years when counter-cyclical payments were made in three installments. For 2007, if partial payments are made, the first installment will equal 40 percent of the projected total payment and will be made after the first six months of the beginning of the marketing year. The final payment is made after the end of the marketing year.

The 2002 Farm Bill requires that any overpayments to producers must be repaid. If not repaid, USDA may deduct overpayments from any future USDA payments.

More information on this program is available at local Farm Service Agency offices and at this website: http://www.fsa.usda.gov .