WASHINGTON – National Farmers Union (NFU) President Roger Johnson issued the following statement regarding the agreement by Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., and Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., to repeal the Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit (VEETC) while reducing the deficit and continuing investments in renewable fuels:
DEADLINE: July 15 for Prevented Planting & Reporting Acreage for Corn & Soybeans
Courtesy Ohio Farm Services Agency
COLUMBUS, OHIO — July 6, 2011 — Steven Maurer, the State Executive Director for the Ohio Farm Service Agency (FSA) would like to remind producers about the deadline extension date to timely report prevented planting is July 15, 2011.
“With the extension, producers are able to file form CCC-576, Notice of Loss for prevented planting of corn and soybeans at the same time as filing annual acreage reports which are also due by July 15th, Maurer said.”
Prevented planting acreage, or acreage that could not be planted because of wet field conditions or other natural disaster, should be reported to FSA by July 15th. This includes crops covered by crop insurance or the Non-insured Assistance Program (NAP) and crops without insurance coverage. Producers should contact their local FSA office or crop insurance agent to verify final planting dates for all crops since they vary among counties and crop types.
For crop losses on crops covered by the Non-insured Assistance Program (NAP), producers must contact their local FSA office within 15 days of the occurrence of the disaster or when losses become apparent to file a Notice of Loss. Producers with crop insurance should contact their local agent when losses occur and before destroying the crop.
To report prevented acreage, producers must complete Form CCC-576, Notice of Loss, for affected crops.
Ohio’s Grain Indemnity Fund Strong, But Adjustments May Be On The Way
David Simmons of the Ohio Dept. of Agriculture
Ohio’s grain Indemnity Fund was the chief topic of discussion at a recent Ohio Farmers Union Town Hall in Archbold.
Northwest State Community College President Thomas Stuckey, State Sen. Cliff Hite, David Simmons of the Ohio Dept. of Agriculture and Roger Wise and Bruce Yancey of the Ohio Farmers Union spoke and answered questions from the 50 to 60 meeting attendees.
The meeting was hosted by the OFU chapters in Defiance, Fulton, Henry and Williams Counties and Northwest State Community College.
Farmers in this area of northwest Ohio have been affected by the recent failure of Archbold Elevator, Inc. located at 3265 CR 24 in Archbold, Ohio. ODA has recently approved 85 claims associated with its failure submitted to the state grain Indemnity Fund. Those claims are to be paid pending approval of the Ohio
Controlling Board on July 11. The total cost to the Fund of the Archbold claims will be $3.4 million.
Simmons’ role at ODA is administrator of the section of the agency that oversees the Indemnity Fund among other programs related to grain, feed and seed. He gave a presentation about the history of grain elevator regulation in Ohio and updated farmers on the health of the Indemnity Fund.
[Video] David Simmons of the ODA Explains Grain Indemnity Fund
Ohio & U.S. Depts. of Agriculture Warning About Asian Longhorned Beetle
The U.S. and Ohio Departments of Agriculture want you to know about an invasive species which threatens our trees.
The USDA’s Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is currently conducting surveys in Bethel, Ohio for the Asian longhorned beetle. Bethel is located 30 miles southeast of Cincinnati.
NFU begins Green Energy Tour today
The National Farmers Union and The Climate Network kick off a green energy tour today in Millbank, South Dakota at the Midwest Dairy Institute.
NFU President Roger Johnson said the tour’s purpose is to teach family farmers and ranchers that opportunities in renewable energy could be a boon to their operations. Johnson said benefits of renewable energy include additional revenue for rural communities and farmers, less dependence on foreign oil and a smaller environmental footprint.
One Year Later, Market Fairness Rule Still Not Implemented (GIPSA)
WASHINGTON – National Farmers Union (NFU) President Roger Johnson issued the following statement in recognition of the one-year anniversary of the proposed Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) rule:
“The Obama Administration needs to act now to implement and enforce the GIPSA rule. Farmers and ranchers need a fair marketplace now more than ever. We have waited long enough.
“It has been one year since the GIPSA rule was proposed. Since then, more than 60,000 comments were submitted to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) regarding the rule. It has been more than three years since the 2008 Farm Bill was passed with a mandate to put forward protections for farmers and ranchers. It is long past time to implement these reforms to protect family farmers and ranchers.
Farmers Union Informational Meeting with State Officials June 30
The Ohio Farmers Union with Northwest State Community College is hosting an Ohio agricultural policy information meeting on June 30. Ohio State Sen. Cliff Hite and Agriculture Inspections Administrator David Simmons of the Ohio Dept. of Agriculture will speak and answer questions. OFU President Roger Wise will conduct the meeting and discuss OFU activities and policy concerns.
The meeting will be held at Northwest State’s George V. Voinovich Auditorium located at 22600 SR 34, Archbold and is open to the general public. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the presentation begins at 7 p.m.
Latest Ohio Country Messenger is Out!
The latest edition of the Ohio Farmers Union newsletter is in the mail … or you can just read it here.
OFU Members Alert: Save Ohio Consumers Counsel Funding
The Ohio Farmers Union is urging members to take action this week and contact members of the Ohio General Assembly regarding funding cuts for the Office of the Ohio Consumers Counsel (OCC).
Established in 1976, the OCC was formed to represent residential customer interests in matters regarding their public utility services including, water, natural gas, electric and telephone services.
The OCC serves as the residential consumers’ lawyer in rate cases and other actions which come before the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio. When the large utility corporations propose rate changes for instance, the OCC is the statutorily authorized representative of homeowners and family farmers before the PUCO. OCC also provides educational and policy services and operates a residential utility customer call center serving as a problem solver and go-between for citizen consumers and the utility companies.
According to a recent op-ed in the Columbus Dispatch by OCC leader Janine Migden-Ostrander, the OCC has established a solid track record of representing the public’s interest:
During the current budget period, the Consumers’ Counsel, through its direct efforts, has saved customers $54.8 million in potential rate increases. Through its collaboration with other stakeholders, including advocacy organizations for business, senior citizens, low-income residents and others, the Consumers’ Counsel has produced shared savings of $1.9 billion. Often, we have participated in negotiated agreements that have provided benefits that helped keep people connected to their electric or natural-gas service or produced energy-efficiency programs aimed at lowering their utility costs.
Further, when we succeed in reducing rate increases, the benefits flow not only to residential customers but to business and industrial customers, as well. For example, if we negotiate a revenue savings of $10 million in an electric-rate case, 60 percent of those savings go to businesses, small and large. Our work helps to keep energy costs down for all utility customers and, therefore, contributes to job retention and economic development.
So, what’s the problem?
