I want to remind the farmers in my district that June 1 is the deadline for filing an Average Crop Revenue Election (ACRE) form. ACRE is part of a 2008 farm bill that protects farmers against low revenues. Farmers who participate in the ACRE program may receive revenue-based payments as an alternative to receiving price-based counter-cyclical (CC) payments. Payments can be triggered one of two ways; either low prices or low yields. Those who choose to register their crops under the ACRE program will remain enrolled through 2012. They must forego CC payments, take a 20 percent reduction in their direct payments, and a 30 percent reduction to marketing assistance loan rates for all commodities produced on the farm. Farming is such an important part of Indiana and our Country. I want to make sure our farmers receive the revenues they expect from the production of their fields. Please take the time to find out if the ACRE program is right for you. This program can be highly complex so it is recommended that farmers visit their local Farm Service Agency to find out more information or to sign up. You can also visit www.fsa.usda.gov/Internet/FSA_File/acre.pdf to learn more about the ACRE program. |
