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The Farm Service Agency (FSA) is partnering with U of M Extension to educate dairy producers about the new Margin Protection Program (MPP) for dairy producers.
A number of meetings have been set up by MN Milk Producers Association and MN Extension Service (MES) to learn more about this program. The MN Milk Producers Association meetings do require a $10 registration and a hot lunch will be provided. The remaining meetings are free and do not require pre-registration. Twenty-three sites have been chosen throughout Minnesota. Producers can bring laptops to the meetings and also their production history from the dairy facility for the years; 2011, 2012 and 2013. The meeting dates are listed in the Dairy Star for your convenience.
The Stearns County FSA office has set up two additional free meetings for producers: Kimball City Hall, Kimball, Minn., Sept. 30, from 10 a.m. to noon and Holdingford City Hall, Holdingford, Minn., Oct. 2, from 12:30 p.m. to 3 p.m.
The Margin Protection Program is a voluntary risk management program which replaces the Milk Income Loss Contract program that expired on Sept. 1, 2014. The MPP fact sheet is available on the www.fsa.usda.gov website under the topic of fact sheets and then in alphabetic order. The decision tool which can help producers make coverage level decisions can be found at www.fsa.usda.gov/mpptool. Dairy producers can enter their own highest production history from 2011, 2012 and 2013 and choose the year of coverage to project the forecast margin or select the coverage level. This tool will show the bump of 1.0087 if coverage is selected for 2015. The decision tool will show the amount of premium at each level of coverage from 25 to 90 percent of your highest production.
The deadline to register for 2014 or 2015 coverage is Nov. 28, 2014. If producers do not register by Nov. 28, 2014 the next registration date will be July 1 - Sept. 30, 2015 for 2016 coverage.

Livestock producers urged to enroll in Disaster Assistance Program by Oct. 1
Producers who have suffered eligible disaster-related losses are encouraged to act to secure assistance by Sept. 30, 2014, as congressionally-mandated payment reductions will take place for producers who have not acted before that date. Minnesota Livestock producers who have experienced grazing losses since 2012 may be eligible for benefits, but have not yet contacted their local Farm Service Agency (FSA) office should do so as soon as possible.
The Budget Control Act passed by Congress in 2011 requires USDA to implement reductions of 7.3 percent to the Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP) in the new fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1, 2014. However, producers seeking LFP support who have scheduled appointments with their local FSA office before Oct. 1, even if the appointment occurs after Oct. 1, will not see reductions in the amount of disaster relief they receive.
USDA is encouraging producers to register, request an appointment or begin a Livestock Forage Disaster Program application with their county FSA office before Oct. 1, 2014, to lock in the current zero percent sequestration rate. As an additional aid to qualified producers applying for LFP, the Farm Service Agency has developed an online registration that enables farmers and ranchers to put their names on an electronic list before the deadline to avoid reductions in their disaster assistance. This is an alternative to visiting or contacting the county office. To place a name on the Livestock Forage Disaster Program list online, visit http://www.fsa.usda.gov/disaster-registert. Producers who already contacted the county office and have an appointment scheduled need do nothing more.
The Livestock Forage Disaster Program compensates eligible livestock producers who suffered grazing losses in Minnesota due to drought or fire between Oct. 1, 2012 and Dec. 31, 2014. Eligible livestock includes alpacas, beef cattle, buffalo, beefalo, dairy cattle, deer, elk, emus, equine, goats, llamas, poultry, reindeer, sheep or swine that have been or would have been grazing the eligible grazing land or pastureland. Producers forced to liquidate their livestock may also be eligible for program benefits.[[In-content Ad]]

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