Zach Ducheneaux

One of the serious issues for beginning, small, or underserved farmers is the lack of access to credit.  And ask anyone who’s farmed for a while, without credit, it's almost impossible for any farmer to make it.   “This is what I feel like I was brought to the agency for is to help improve access to credit especially to those underserved populations.”   FSA Adminis...

Sign up for the USDA’s 58th Conservation Reserve Program general site is February 27th.  It’s one of several CRP sign ups this year.   “ It's general CRP, or grasslands it's never too early to start planning and start getting together your offer in," noted FSA Administrator Zach Ducheneaux.  "Our county offices are always...

FSA Administrator Zach Ducheneaux said he would like to see changes to the federal farm loan system.  He said he would like to see FSA operate less like a lending institution and more like a federal government initiative.  He said right now, one of the biggest challenges is that many of the Department’s loan officers have a more conservative frame of mind then needed, which he says does not result

FSA announced last week that dairy producers now have through the end of January to consider enrolling in either USDA's Dairy Margin Coverage or the Supplemental-DMC for program year 2023.   “We're going to extend the deadline for submission of applications for DMC and Supplemental-DMC to give our producers time to get through year end activities and to ensure that they're able to take advantage o

The application deadline is fast approaching for Phase One USDA's Emergency Relief Program.   “The deadline on that is December 16th, and that so we can understand the amount of money we had to use for that Phase," said FSA Administrator Zach Ducheneaux.  He added that...

The Department of Agriculture began mailing ballots for the FSA county and urban county committee elections this week.  Elections are occurring in certain Local Administrative Areas for these committee members who make important decisions about how federal farm programs are administered locally.   "Voting in these election...

The USDA has launched a new online tool to help farmers and ranchers better navigate the farm loan application process.  The now uniform application process will help make sure all farm loan applicants receive equal support and have a consistent customer service experience with USDA’s Farm Service Agency, regardless of individual circumstances.   “...

Producers can now change their 2023 crop year elections and enroll in the Agricultural Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage Programs for 2023.  Signup for the two key safety net programs started Monday October 17th and runs through March 15th.   ...

Farm Service Agency Administrator Zach Ducheneaux recently told lawmakers that he’ll give serious consideration to the recommendation to replace the FSA’s district committee system.  IndustryUpdate.com says the USDA’s Equities Commission recently made the recommendation.   However, Ducheneau...

The Farm Service Agency made changes to its payment rates under the Livestock Indemnity Program.  The agency changed rates for calves under 250 pounds and will now value them at the same level as non-adult cattle weighing between 250 and 399 pounds.  FSA als...