HARRISBURG (Dauphin
Co.) The USDA Consolidated
Farm Service Agency (CFSA),
formerly the Agricultural Stabili
zation and Conservation Service,
announced last week that produc
ers in the state could begin apply
ing for minimum catastrophic
level of insurance on Monday,
Feb. 6.
The crop insurance is part of the
Federal Crop Insurance Reform
Act of 1994 that requires all far
mers to buy at least the minimum
level of crop insurance to be eligi
ble for certain farm program bene
fits. Among those benefits are
farm loans previously made
through the Farm and Home
Administration. The loans are now
to be made through the CFSA.
The reason for the reform of fed
eral crop insurance program was
because of the history of U.S. Con
gressional aid packages having to
be made every couple of years to
cover naturally caused crop
damage.
After several years of drought in
one part of the nation and flooding
in another part, lawmakers decided
that the system of supply disaster
Ming Tb Contd Quackgrass Can
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USDA CAT Insurance Sales Underway
packages through low interest
loans or other help was inconsis
tant and too time consuming.
Further, there were often delays in
education and instituting aid
programs.
The current program requires all
crop growers to buy minimum
crop insurance. There are more
details about the differences
between insurable and non
insurable crops for specific reg
ions, and the acreages required
before the requirement kicks-in,
but those should be directed to a
local CFSA person.
What the minimum insurance
program attempts to do is to insti
tutionalize the nation’s crop
disaster response from the ad hoc
follow-up efforts carried out by the
previous administrations.
In the long run, the cost for crop
disaster relief within the United
States can be expected to be less
costly and less politicized.
In the short-term is represents
higher overhead to commercial
crop producers, but limits were
placed on what kinds of upfiont
payments would be required.
The minimum catastrophic
(CAT) level of coverage will pay
for crop losses after more than half
of the actual historical production
is lost
In other words, under this mini
mum coverage, the producer
accepts the loss of half his crop,
while insurance will pay for losses
beyond that.
The rate of payback on the
insurance is 60 percent of thiT
expected market price of the
insured crop.
(It should be explained that in
situations of widespread losses,
the market price of a crop can
LANCASTER (Lancaster Co.) Members
of a number of locals in the Atlantic Breeders
Cooperative have been meeting this past week
and many are scheduled to meet this week in
annual district meetings for stockholders.
Announcement of the meeting schedule was
Waiting to use a rescue treatment like Accent* can cost you up
to twice as much as using Roundup® herbicide to stop quack
grass before your com is up. But that’s not all you’ll pay...
WAIVING CAN COST YOU
14 BU/A IN YllftD
Quackgrass is an aggressive competitor for soil moisture
and plant nutrients. And if you wait until your com is up
to control quackgrass, you’ve already lost yield. University
tests have shown that waiting to control quackgrass can
cost you up to 14 bushels per acre. And then there’s the
matter of reinfestation...
QUACK CAN COMB BACK WITH
A VINGEANCI
You know how tough quackgrass can be. Unfortunately,
post treatments like Accent don’t. They often just
knock quack back instead of controlling the entire
plant, rhizomes and all, like Roundup. The result?
Quackgrass comes back and you’re back to square one.
DON'T WAIT UNTIL IT'S TOO LATI
Using Accent after the damage -is done can be
costly. So don’t hesitate. Use Roundup to stop
quackgrass before it robs you of yield and profit.
See your dealer for
the early, economical
quackgrass control
of Roundup.
Atlantic Breeders
Cooperative Members Meet
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Lancastor Fanning, Saturday, Fabruary 11, IMS-Al9
increase significantly. In compari
son to normal or bumper crop situ
ations, 60 percent of a market price
during such a catastrophy could
actually work out to a price closer
to 100 percent during those normal
or excessive production years.)
Since farming operations can
cross county boundaries, the insur
ance ‘'premium” is based on a for
mula that takes that into account.
Officials do not call the fee a pre
mium, however, and refer to it as
an “administrative charge” that
guarantees minimum crop
insurance.
The cost of CAT coverage is
$5O per crop, with a maximum of
$2OO per county, regardless of the
number of insurable crops. Furth
er, the total cost for all counties in
which a producer farms is not to be
more than $6OO.
According to a news release
from the state CFSA office, “This
administrative fee must be paid
when applying for crop
insurance.”
March IS is the closing date for
crop insurance sales on most crops
grown in Pennsylvania.
For more information, contact a
local CFSA office.
published earlier in the cooperative’s newsletter,
a copy of which is sent to each member.
There are three basic purposes of this year’s
round of meetings, according to Dwight Haw
baker, secretary of the board of directors, in a
meeting notice to members; to nominate a direc
tor in districts 2, 5,8,14, IS, and 16; to elect a
resource/promotion committee representative in
each district; and for members to learn more
about the operation of the cooperative (a slide
show is to be given about a proposed merger),
and its current sires and service programs.
The results of elections are to published in a
future issue of the cooperative’s newsletter,
Transmitter.
In some cases, a county cooperative extension
dairy day program is being held in conjunction
with the membership meeting.
In District 1, the Eastern Berks Local is to
meet Feb. 13 at noon in the Virginville Grange
Hall.
In District 2, the Chester-Delaware Local is to
meet at 7 p.m., Feb. 14, at the West Fallowfield
Christian School.
In District 3, the Northern Dauphin-
Northumberland Local is to meet? p.m., Feb. 16,
at Berrysbiirg Community Center.
In District 4, the Northern Lancaster-Central
Local is to meet noon Feb. 14 at Harvest Drive
Restaurant, in Intercourse; and the Northern
Lancaster-East Local is to meet 7 p.m., Feb. 16,
at the Blue Ball Fire Hall.
In District 5, the Southern Lancaster Local is
to meet 7 p.m,, Feb. 13, in the Hoffman Building,
at the Solanco Fairgrounds.
In District 6, the York Local is to meet 9:30
a.m., Feb. 16, at Seven Valley Fire Hall in con
junction with the county dairy day program.
In District 8, the Mifflin Local is to meet at
noon Feb. 14, at the Country Village Restaurant,
in Allensville.
In District 9, the Northern Blair-Northern
Huntingdon-Centre Local is to meet 7:15 p.m., at
Warriors Mark Fire Hall.
In District 10, the Somerset Local is to meet 7
p.m., Feb. 14, in the Community Building, in
Berlin. The Fayette Local is to meet 10:30 a.m.,
Feb. 13, in Fiddlers Building, at the Fayette
County Fairgrounds, in conjunction with dairy
day activities.
In District 11, the Westmoreland Local is to
meet 10:30 a.m., Feb. 14, in conjunction with the
county dairy day in the Alwine Civic Center, in
Greensburg. The Washington-Greene Local is to
meet 10:30 a.m., Feb. IS, in the Ramada Inn,
Washington.
In District 12, the New Cambria Local is to
meet 7:30 p.m., Feb. 13, in the New Germany
Grove Hall. The Indiana Local is to meet 7:30
p.m., Feb. 14, in The Omni, in Indiana. The
Clearfield Local is to meet at noon, Feb. IS, in
Friends Church, in Grampian.
In District 14, the Butler Local is to meet
10:30 a.m., Feb. 14, at the Garden Gate Restaur
ant, in conjunction with the county dairy day
event
In District 15, the Mercer Local is to meet 10
a.m., Feb. 13, at the Mercer County Extension
Office. in conjunction with the dairy day activi
ties. The West Crawford Local is to meet 7:30
p.m., Feb. 13, at the Vernon Central Hose Com
pany. in Meadville.
For more information about the Atlantic
Breeders Cooperative, call its main office at
(717) 569-0413, or talk to a local representative.