Updates to Acreage Reporting and Prevented Planted Acres

The USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) made several policy updates to acreage reporting and prevented planted acres.

Prevented Planted Acres

In order to certify prevented planted acreage due to drought, all of the following must apply:

• The area that is prevented from being planted has insufficient soil moisture for germination of seed on the final planting date for non-irrigated acreage
• Prolonged precipitation deficiencies that meet the D3 o4 D4 level as determined by the U.S. Drought Monitor
• Verifiable information must be collected from sources whose business or purpose is recording weather conditions as determined by FSA and the sources include, but are not limited to: U.S. National Weather
  • U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
  • National Institute of Food and Agriculture
  • Natural Resources Conservation Service
  • Local irrigation authorities responsible for water allocations
  • State Department of Water Resources
  • National Institute of Food and Agriculture
  • Other sources responsible for the collection of water data or regulation of water resources (water allocations)
  • Bureau of Reclamation.

FSA reminds producers to report prevented planted and failed acres in order to establish or retain FSA program eligibility for some programs. You should report crop acreage you intended to plant, but due to natural disaster, were prevented from planting. Prevented planting acreage must be reported on form CCC-576, Notice of Loss, no later than 15 calendar days after the final planting date as established by FSA and the Risk Management Agency (RMA).

Late-Filed Acreage Reports

FSA can now accept late-filed acreage reports without a field visit if the producer can provide proof of existence and disposition.  Producers are required to pay the late filed fee.

Proof of existence of the crop includes, but is not limited to:

• seed receipts showing the amount, variety, and date purchased;
• receipts for cleaning, treating, etc., for seed planted on the farm;
• a written contract or documentation of an oral contract to produce a specific crop;
• evidence that was accepted and approved by the RMA or another USDA agency;
• precision planting, spraying, or harvesting geospatial data or maps;
• drone photos with location and notable physical boundaries;
• other aerial or ground imagery with the ability to determine date, acres, and crop. 

Proof of disposition of the crop includes, but is not limited to:

• receipts showing number and units sold if the sale can be positively identified as sale of the crop for the farm for the year represented;
• a written contract or documentation of an oral contract to produce a specific crop;
• records showing the crop was fed to livestock;
• documentation of payment for custom harvesting indicating acreage, location, and crop year;
• evidence that was accepted and approved by another USDA agency.