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2016 ARC-CO Payments For Minnesota

By Curtis Mahnken 
 
The Farm Service Agency (FSA) recently released 2016 county yields for corn, soybeans and wheat. These yields along with the marketing-year-average (MYA) prices which were released in September provide the information needed to calculate Agricultural Risk Coverage-County (ARC-CO) payments. These payments will be made in October 2017.
 
 
ARC-CO triggers a payment based on a crop’s base acres if the actual county revenue for that crop is less than 86% of the “benchmark” revenue. For corn, the MYA price (Table 1) is almost 30% lower than the benchmark price. Payments will be made in counties where the 2016 yield is up to 22% above the county benchmark yield. For wheat, payments will be triggered in counties where their yields are up to 48% above the benchmark yield.
 
Table 2 includes the payments per base acre by county for corn and wheat. These numbers have been adjusted to reflect the 6.8% reduction for budget sequestration. For soybeans, there are only two counties in Minnesota that will receive ARC-CO payments, Kittson ($12) and Lake of the Woods ($19).
 
The variability in payments between counties are a result of differences in the 2016 crop yield compared to the county benchmark that is based on 2011-2015 yields. There is significant variation not only in the 2016 yields but also in the benchmark yields between the counties. Counties with a high yield compared to their benchmark will not receive payments.
 
To calculate the payment for a farm, multiply the base acres by the payment for that county. A farm in Waseca County would receive $29 per base acre for corn. With a 300 acre corn base the payment would be 300 x $29 = $8,700.
 
 

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After being unavailable in 2024 due to registration issues, dicamba products are returning for Georgia farmers this growing season — but under strict new conditions.

In this report from Tifton, Extension Weed Specialist Stanley Culpepper explains the updated EPA ruling, including new application limits, mandatory training requirements, and the need for a restricted use pesticide license. Among the key changes: a cap of two ½-pound applications per year and the required use of an approved volatility reduction agent with every application.

For Georgia cotton producers, the ruling is significant. According to Taylor Sills with the Georgia Cotton Commission, the vast majority of cotton planted in the state carries the dicamba-tolerant trait — meaning farmers had been paying for technology they couldn’t use.

While environmental groups have expressed concerns over spray drift, Georgia growers have reduced off-target pesticide movement by more than 91% over the past decade. Still, this two-year registration period will come with increased scrutiny, making stewardship and compliance more important than ever.