There are big changes coming up in the Farm Service Agency’s cotton program, so farmers in the County of Grimes will need to get in touch with the agency soon to see if they’re affected.
Texas State FSA Director Judy Canalles tells Navasota News, the Cotton Transition Assistance Program was enacted in the latest Farmbill and will give certain cotton producers an extra year of FSA support before they start going through the Risk Management Agency.
So if you have cotton-adjusted base-acres from 2013 that are under a previous Farmbill, Canalles advises that you find the time to speak with the local FSA office before the end of September.
Through the old programs, Canalles continues, cotton producers received direct deposits every year. But, she explains, the RMA’s STAX Income Protection Program is now purely an insurance program that will work alongside other private crop insurance companies and only kick-in if something goes wrong.
To find out more about the FSA’s Cotton Transition Assistance Program call, 979-846-4814 or go to fsa.usda.gov.