Sign-Up Begins for DCP and ACRE

Enrollment for the 2012 Direct and Counter-Cyclical Program and the Average Crop Revenue Election Program began yesterday. USDA urges producers to make use of the electronic DCP (eDCP) website to sign up, or producers can visit any USDA Service Center to complete their 2012 DCP or ACRE contract. According to Farm Service Agency Administrator Bruce Nelson, eDCP saves time, reduces paperwork and speeds up contract processing at USDA Service Centers. The sign-up deadline is June 1, 2012.

eDCP is available to all producers who are eligible to participate in the programs and can be accessed at www.fsa.usda.gov/dcp. To access the service, producers must have an active USDA eAuthentication Level 2 account, which requires filling out an online registration form at www.eauth.egov.usda.gov followed by a visit to the local USDA Service Center for identity verification.

For 2012, advance direct payments are not authorized and Counter-Cyclical payment rates vary depending on market prices. Counter-cyclical payments are issued only when the effective price for a commodity is below its target price. The ACRE Program provides a safety net based on state revenue losses. When the ACRE option is chosen, it acts in place of the price-based safety net of counter-cyclical payments under DCP.