Staples Awards Disaster Grants – Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples announced awards of $2.1 million in federal disaster relief grants to Texas cities and counties who are still suffering the effects of the severe drought from last year. The communities being awarded are: Concho County, Falls City, Lawn, Leakey, Real County and Sabine County. The funds were made available from a new initiative that directs funds toward drought needs from the Texas Department of Agriculture’s (TDA) Texas Community Development Block Grant Program. TDA awarded the grants from its Disaster Relief Fund, which provides assistance to eligible communities to help alleviate the effects of a natural disaster. The program serves approximately 1,017 eligible rural communities, 245 eligible rural counties and provides services to more than 375,000 low-to-moderate beneficiaries each year. Counties must have populations less than 200,00 people, and cities must have populations under 50,000.
2012 National Sorghum Crop Projections – The USDA has set projections for the new sorghum crop year. The 2012 U.S. sorghum crop is expected to produce up to 335 million bushels this crop year (up from 214 million last year). Reports indicate planted acreage is expected to increase to a total of 5.95 million acres (up 469,000 acres), while the yield is projected to jump 10.4 bushels. Sorghum beginning stocks are forecasted at 26.9 million bushels (down 0.6 million) and total production is set to be at 362 million bushels (up from 242 million) due to the higher production levels. Sorghum use is expected to increase by 105 million bushels. Exports are projected higher at 140 million bushels (up 80 million), while feed and residual use is projected at 90 million (up 25 million). Ending stocks are expected to be at 42 millions bushels (up 15 million). The season-average farm price is projected to be $3.85-$4.65 per bushel (down from $5.85-$6.15).
Reminder! DCP & ACRE Deadlines Approaching – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) reminded producers that enrollment for eligible farms the 2012 Director and Counter-Cyclical Program (DCP) and the Average Crop Revenue Election Program (ACRE) ends on June 1, 2012. Producers must enroll their farms each year and all owners and operators who will share in the DCP or ACRE program must sign-up. Since 2009, producers had the option to choose one program or the other, and a producer who initially chose to remain in DCP has the option to switch to ACRE during the enrollment period, but producers who chose to enroll in ACRE in the past cannot switch back to DCP. Growers can enroll on the electronic DCP (eDCP) at www.fsa.usda.gov/dcp which saves time, reduces paperwork and speeds up contracts processing (must have an active USDA eAuthentication Level 2 account which can be completed online at www.eauth.egov.usda.gov) or by visiting their local FSA office.
