USDA seeks public comment on 1985 grain program WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Department of Agriculture is seeking public comment on some aspects of the 1965 feed grain program prior to making a decision on the program, a USDA official said recently. Everett Rank, administrator of USDA’s Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service, said USDA will study the public’s recommendations along with current data on U.S. and world crop conditions and crop supply and demand before announcing the 1985 program. Specifically, Rank said, USDA would like to receive comments on: the loan and purchase level; the established target price; the national program acreage; whether there should be a voluntary reduction percentage and, if so, what percentage; whether there should be an acreage reduction program and, if so, what percentage and how to establish the acreage bases for the acreage reduction program; whether a set-aside requirement is necessary and, if so, what percentage; whether there should be a Save big with SAME 9.75% financing land diversion program and, if so, the extent of such diversion and the level of payment; whether barley should be eligible for payment purposes under the feed grain program; whether malting barley should be exempt from any acreage reduction program; if an acreage reduction or set aside program is necessary, whether to allow haying and grazing of acreage conservation reserve acreage; provisions of the farmer owned reserve: whether to require offsetting compliance if an acreage reduc tion program is established; whether non-recourse loans and purchases should be made available to producers who cut their com crop for silage; and whether contracts that producers sign to participate in the program should be binding after the signup period. Rank said current law stipulates that if USDA estimates the quantity of corn on hand in the United States on Sept. 30,1985, will exceed 1.1 billion bushels, a cash land diversion program of not less than 5 percent must be provided and an acreage reduction program