Veneman Says Farm Bill Payments Are on Schedule

Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Veneman Sept. 17 said that USDA is on schedule implementing the 2002 Farm Bill, and that farmers will receive their direct and counter-cyclical payments on time. 

            “We have made great progress in implementing the 2002 Farm Bill within a short period of time,” Veneman said during a hearing before the Senate Agriculture Committee on implementation of the 2002 Farm Bill.  “I’m happy to report that farmers will receive their checks on time as required by the new law.”

            Veneman said sign up for the direct and counter-cyclical payment program will begin Oct. 1 with payments starting very soon after.  USDA employees at the federal and state level are working with farmers to update acreage bases and yields, which is the first time since 1985 that producers will have had an opportunity to update program acreage.   

“The new law contains many complex issues and new programs that require a great deal of work to implement such as writing new computer programs, developing new regulations, providing extensive training for USDA employees and working closely with producers to make sure they can best utilize and receive the programs and benefits,” Veneman said. 

            Veneman said key accomplishments include:

·        Created an internal structure to ensure that program implementation is coordinated in a timely manner department-wide and government wide, including the development of a detailed tracking system for all farm bill actions so that USDA leadership know the status for each requirement under the farm bill.

·        Established a 2002 Farm Bill Web site with program details and answers to questions for producers needing information about the new law.

 ·        Authorized more than $750 million for 2002 for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), the Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP), the Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program (WHIP) and the Farmland Protection Program (FPP). USDA is working on initiating rulemaking on new programs, such as the Grassland Reserve Program and the Conservation Security Program.

·        Voluntary guidelines for country-of-origin labeling are being developed and will be released in the near future.

·        Announced Aug. 12 the allocation for the additional $10 million for the Market Access Program for FY 2002 and published on Sept. 10 regulations for the new Technical Assistance for Specialty Crops Program and requested proposals for FY 2002 funding.

·        Awarded grants to states through the Women, Infant and Children Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program and the Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program.

·        Began sign up for the Milk Income Loss Contract, which provides counter-cyclical support payments to dairy producers, on Aug. 13 so that payments can begin next month.

·        Implemented an historic overhaul of the peanut program replacing the market quota system with the direct and counter-cyclical payment program.  Sign up began Sept. 3 and runs through Nov. 22.  Payments will begin as soon as the rule is issued.

·        Published a final rule on program details for the sugar program and announced the 2002-crop marketing allotment quantities for beet and cane sugar.

·        Published final rules for WRP and WHIP in June and July, respectively. The proposed rule for the Agriculture Management Assistance program was published on Aug. 28.

·        Awarded more than $700 million in grants for 377 projects in 47 states and Puerto Rico for water and waste projects.  In addition, $33 million in value added grants will be awarded soon.

·        Created an internal taskforce to help implement the office for the new Assistance Secretary for Civil Rights.  USDA is interviewing candidates and a selection should be announced soon.