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USDA provides farm bill implementation update

Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue provided an update on the implementation status of the 2018 Farm Bill.

The USDA has been working to implement farm bill programs since President Trump signed it into law in December.

Perdue says farmers and ranchers depend on the programs, which is why they are working to implement the farm bill with efficiency and accuracy.

Some takeaways:

• The Farm Service Agency will open Agriculture Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage elections for the 2019 and 2020 crop years beginning in September.
• Dairy Margin Coverage sign-up began on June 17^th with margin payments made to qualifying producers in early July.
• FSA began accepting applications in June for certain practices under continuous CRP. General CRP sign-up will begin in December.
• The Food and Nutrition Service launched the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) online purchasing pilot in April. The pilot will inform regulations required by the farm bill.
• FSA issued an amendment to increase loan limits to $600,000 for direct loans and about $1.7 million for guaranteed loans.
• The USDA has begun initiating rulemaking to implement a program for commercial production of hemp.
• The USDA announced $75 million in funding for eradication and control of feral swine through the Feral Swine Eradication and Control Pilot program.  

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