Deadline for wheat producers to file Prevented Planting claims is Nov. 30

According to the Vernon County Farm Service Agency, most wheat producers in Vernon County have not been able to plant their intended wheat acreage by the Nov. 15 ending planting date for wheat because of the very wet field conditions that were present Oct. 8 through Nov 15.

Farmers were unable to harvest their corn and soybeans in a timely manner in October due to the excessive rainfall throughout October. Rainfall amounts totalled 11 inches, the equivalent of 268 percent above normal, preventing planting of wheat by Nov 15.

Producers did have a break from the rains the first two weeks of November but the cool November weather and shorter days prevented the ground from drying enough to plant. Most corn and soybean acres were harvested under muddy conditions this fall leaving deep tracks in the fields also preventing any no-till planting of their intended wheat acreage.

To be eligible for Crop Insurance Prevented Planting payments and possible FSA Wheat Disaster payments through the FSA new Supplemental Disaster Assistance program and the ACRE program producers must file a notice of loss with the Farm Service Agency office and their insurance agent by Nov 30.

When filing a Prevented Planning Wheat acreage report, producers must provide a statement of actions taken showing their intentions to plant wheat, such as the amount of seed purchased or arranged for, fertilizer applied, purchased or arranged for, any tillage efforts completed or reasons why not, financing arranged, and so on.

Cropland available and feasible to plant must have been affected by a natural disaster rather than a management decision not to plant.

Producers reporting prevented planting wheat acreage in excess of the wheat acreage normally planted on their farm should provide paper copies of the above Prevented Planting evidence for the FSA County Committee to review for approval.

The normal planted wheat acreage in Vernon County is about 31,000 acres. Only about 2,000 acres are known planted to date and many acres of corn and soybeans are still not harvested due to the muddy conditions.

Producers reporting Prevented Planting of Wheat after Nov 30 will be charged a late file fee of $46 per farm for a field visit and acreage measurement service. Subsequent crops planted on wheat Prevented Planning acres could affect any crop insurance payment, so producers should check with an agent for details.

Under the FSA -- SURE program, subsequent crops not normally planted under double crop conditions are not recognized or figured in the total revenue calculation, which could be a good thing under SURE. For example: corn planted on wheat Prevented Planting acres or soybeans planted on corn Prevented Planting acres are not counted in the current year's revenue which could result in a large SURE disaster payment if few other crops are planted on the farm.

More information on the 2008 SURE signup will be available in a few weeks. Contact the FSA office at (417) 667-8137 for additional information.