A3O-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, December 9, 2000 Farmers To Sign Up For Helpful USDA Programs WASHINGTON, D.C. Ag riculture Secretary Dan Glick man recently reminded farmers of pending application deadlines for emergency assistance pro grams. “There are many USDA pro grams that are available to farm ers this year to help them through difficult times,” said Glickman. “1 urge farmers to call or visit their local USDA office to ensure that they know about all the help they may be eligible for and to sign up before the deadli- ne.” Application deadlines for pro grams previously announced this year are: 2000 Oilseeds Program: $5OO million in payments is available to the more than 600,000 produc ers of the 2000 crops of certain oilseeds. Eligible oilseeds include cano la, crambe, flaxseed, mustard, ra peseed, safflower, sesame, soy beans, and sunflowers. Application deadline is January 12,2001. 2000 Crop Year Peanut Mar ket Loss Assistance Program: An estimated $6l million is available to partially compensate over 16,000 peanut producers for low commodity prices and increasing production costs. Application deadline is February 1,2001. Flood Compensation Program: $24 million is available to pro ducers to help offset losses due to land inundated with flood wa ters. Application deadline is Jan uary 19,2001. Wool and Mohair Market Loss Assistance Program; Approxi mately $ll million in relief is available for farmers who suf fered economic loss due to low prices during the 1999 marketing year. Application deadline is De cember 29,2000. 2000 Lamb Meat Adjustment Assistance Program: Approxi mately $lO million is available to producers whose lamb carcasses meet minimum grade specifica tions. Application deadline is August 15,2001. Local USDA Farm Service Agency offices also will begin ac cepting applications soon for the following programs: 2000 Crop Disaster Program (CDP): Funds will be made available to producers who have been affected by crop disaster. The signup period will begin January 18,2001. 2000 Livestock Assistance Pro gram (LAP): An estimated $438 million is available to producers for grazing losses due to weather related disasters. The signup pe riod will begin January 18,2001. Dairy Market Loss Assistance (DMLA III): Payments to opera tions that received assistance under DMLA II will be automat ically issued to producers later this month. Payments will also be available to new operations and to operations that did not have 12 months of marketing es tablished under DMLA 11, and will be based on October 1999-September 2000 market ings. The four-week signup peri od for these producers will begin in late January, 2001. 1999 Cranberry Crop Market Assistance: Up to $2O million will be available to cranberry produc ers to help offset low market prices experienced during the 1999 crop year. Farmers will be notified in mid-December con cerning the application process which has been simplified by coordinating with existing data held by the Agricultural Market ing Service. 2000 Livestock Indemnity Pro gram (LIP): Up to $lO million will be available to producers who lost livestock due to natural disaster, fire and anthrax. The signup period will begin January 18,2001. Extension of the 1999 Live stock Indemnity Program/ Contract Growers (CG-LIP): Program coverage of last year’s CG-LIP will be extended through February 7, 2000. The signup period will begin January 18,2001. Apple Market Loss Assistance; Up to $lOO million will be avail able to apple producers to help offset low market prices experi enced during the 1998 and 1999 crop years. The signup period will begin January 18,2001. 2001 Pa. Angus Queen Contest The Pa. Angus Auxiliary is once again excited to extend the opportunity to become the Pa. Angus Queen to all eligible young ladies. Contestants must be between the ages of 15-21 and an active member of the Pa. Jun ior Angus Association to partici pate in the queen contest. The applications for the contest were mailed on Nov. 1, and the entry deadline is Dec. 15. The candidates will be inter viewed on Saturday at Farm Show and will need to attend the annual banquet held on Sunday, Jan. 7 for the crowning of the new queen. Contestants should contact Barb Weaver to purchase a ticket for the banquet. If you have any questions, please con tact Jill Bucks at (717) 533-6674, New ‘TEAM BEEF’ Program Targets Two Audiences MIDDLETOWN (Dauphin Co.) The Pennsylvania Beef Council and the Penn State Uni versity Department of Animal Science will host ‘TEAM BEEF’ at Penn State University on Feb. 19-22,2001. ‘TEAM BEEF’ encompasses two hands-on short courses, BEEF 201 and BEEF 202. BEEF 201, the former BEEF 2000, is designed for cattle producers and will begin on Monday, Feb; 19 and conclude on Wednesday, Feb. 21. BEEF 202, designed for select chef and restaurant managers, will begin Wednesday evening, Feb. 21 and conclude on Thurs day, Feb. 22. BEEF 201 is a program de signed to give cattle producers the opportunity to follow live cattle from the feedlot all the way through to the product that ends up on the consumers plate. Those attending this hands-on short course will evaluate live cattle, including visual and ultra sonic, observe the slaughter pro cess, and grade and inspect car casses with a USDA inspector and grader. Attendees will then fabricate the carcass into retail and whole sale cuts. In addition, a variety of guest speakers will be speaking on current issues in today’s beef industry. This two-and-a-half day course offers Pennsylvania beef producers a great opportunity to gain a better understanding of price and value concepts at the feedlot, packing plant, and retail levels. By the completion of this course, producers should have a better understanding of the vital role they play in meeting the beef industry’s goal of providing the consumer with a consistent and quality product and how they can more effectively and effi ciently reach that goal. Space is limited to the first 25 participants, which will be de termined on first come, first serve basis. The deadline for res ervations is Jan. 19,2001. The registration fee for each BEEF 201 participant will be $4O for Pennsylvania producers and $5O for out-of-state producers and agribusiness persons. Each participant will be responsible for paying for hotel accommoda tions. The Pennsylvania Beef Council will make a block hotel reservation for the group. To make a reservation for BEEF 201 or for additional in formation, contact Holly Mar shall or Wendall Landis at the Pennsylvania Beef Council of fice, (717) 939-7000. Give’em what they want; BEEF!
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