Enrollment Under Way For Farm Bill Safety Net Programs

Jun 18, 2015

Farmers have until Sept. 30 to formally enroll in the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) or Price Loss Coverage (PLC) safety-net programs for 2014 and 2015 according to a USDA press release. Farmers and producers had until April 7 to make a one-time choice of the program in which they would participate.

The new programs, established by the 2014 farm bill, trigger financial protections for producers when market forces cause substantial drops in crop prices or revenues. More than 1.76 million farmers have elected ARC or PLC. In Georgia 100 percent of peanut farms elected for PLC, while Georgia farmers producing all the other covered crops generally favored ARC.

For instance, 87 percent of Georgia's soybean growers, 84 percent of the state's corn growers and 74 percent of its grain sorghum growers went with ARC. Nationwide, 96 percent of soybean farms, 91 percent of corn farms and 66 percent of wheat farms elected ARC while 99 percent of peanut farms, 99 percent of long grain rice farms and 94 percent of medium grain rice farms elected PLC.

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Video: Jim Smalley: The Voice That Defined Saskatchewan Agriculture Journalism | CKRM 100th Anniversary

Our next 620 CKRM Icon is Jim Smalley. Jim reflects on his remarkable career, from his early days in Ontario and his first steps into news, to his move west and his lasting impact on Saskatchewan’s airwaves.

After joining CKRM in 1982, Jim spent more than four decades as one of the province’s most trusted and recognizable voices. Jim defined agricultural journalism — not just in Saskatchewan, but across Canada. His commitment to telling the stories of farmers, rural communities, and the people behind the headlines set the standard. Now retired from the newsroom that proudly bears his name, Jim shares memorable stories from his time on air. A broadcaster, a storyteller, and a true voice of Saskatchewan — Jim Smalley’s legacy continues to resonate at CKRM and beyond.