Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

FAV Report Needed From Producers

Producers are reminded to timely report the planning of all fruits and vegetables (FAVs) on farms that are enrolled in the new seven-year program AMTA (Agricutlure Market Transition Porgram).

Contract acres under AMTA must be devoted to an agricultural or related use. Producers shall protect idled contract acreage from erosion and shall control weeds on contract acreage.

Producers may plant any crop except fruits (including nuts) and vegetables other than lentils, mung beans and dry peas (dry peas means Austrian, wrinkled seed, green, yellow, and umatilla peas) on contract acreage on the farm. Producers may plant cropland in excess of the contract acreage on the farm to any crop.

Producers may also plant fruits (including nuts) and vegetables on contract acreage in these three situations:

1)+In a double cropping practice in an established double cropping region established by the state committee;

2)+If the farm has a history of planting fruits or vegetables for the 1991 through 1995 crop years, in which case contract payments shall be reduced for each acre of contract acreage planted to a fruit or vegetable; or

3)+If the producer has an established history of planting a specific fruit or vegetable, and the plantings on contract acreage do not exceed the producer's average annual planting history for the specific fruit or vegetable for the 1991 through 1995 crop years (excluding all years in which the producer did not plant fruits or vegetables), in which case contract payments shall be reduced for each acre of contract acreage planted to a fruit or vegetable.

Failure to comply with the fruit and vegetable planting flexibility provisions may result, at CCC's discretion, in the termination of the contract or a reduction in the contract payment, according to a news release.

The final acreage reporting date is July 15, which is the reason for this reminder. If you have a contract in the AMTA program, and have any acres of fruits and vegetables, file an acreage report to ensure contract payment.

Contact Farm Service Agency office located at 2510 North Hervey in Hope or call (501) 777-3764.