Here is some information about some meetings that will be held by UGA Ag Econ and FSA in a couple of weeks. I believe these meeting will be very beneficial to you as farmers. I will be attending the one on Monday, September 10 in Perry. The meeting is only 1 1/2 hours, so please let me know if you would like to ride.
UGA Ag Econ (Dr. Adam N. Rabinowitz and Dr. Yangxuan Liu) will be holding joint producer meetings with Farm Service Agency (FSA) focused on the following topics:
- Generic Base Conversion: The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 authorizes seed cotton as a covered commodity for the 2018 crop year. Owners of a farm with generic base acres need to reallocate those acres. This section of the meeting will cover:
- An explanation of the program, options, and the process.
- An introduction to decision aids and important issues to consider when choosing conversion of generic base acres and ARC/PLC programs.
- Wildfires and Hurricanes Indemnity Program (WHIP): The 2017 Wildfires and Hurricanes Indemnity Program is providing disaster payments to agricultural producers to offset losses from hurricanes and wildfires during 2017. This section of the meeting will cover:
- An explanation of the program and how to participate.
- An overview of risk management strategies and alternative coverages.
- Trade related assistance for agricultural producers: The USDA is taking several actions to assist farmers in response to recent retaliatory tariffs. This section of the meeting will cover the following:
- What’s happening with U.S. trade of agricultural products?
- Market Facilitation Program. Who will be receiving payments and explanation of the process.
- Food Purchase and Distribution Program and Trade Promotion Program. Overview of assistance programs to purchase unexpected surplus and develop new export markets.
Regional meetings will be held on September 10-12 at the following locations:
Monday, September 10, 2018
Bainbridge: 9:00-10:30am
Decatur County Extension Office, 1300 E. River Road, Bainbridge, GA 39817
Perry: 2:45-4:15pm
Houston County Extension Office, 801 Main Street, Perry, GA 31069
Tuesday, September 11, 2018
Statesboro: 9:00-10:30am
Bulloch County Extension Office, 151 Langston Chapel Road, Statesboro, GA 30458
Tifton: 3:00-4:30pm
UGA Tifton Campus Conference Center, 15 RDC Road, Tifton, GA 31794
Wednesday, September 12, 2018
Cartersville: 9:00-10:30am
Bartow County Extension Office, Stiles Auditorium – 320 West Cherokee Avenue, Cartersville, GA 30120
Watkinsville: 3:00-4:30pm
Oconee County Extension Office, Jay Phil Campbell Building, 1420 Experiment Station Road & Government Station Road, Watkinsville, GA 30677