Briefs 12-23

PNT Staff Reports

USDA accepting public comment on regulation

The U.S. Department of Agriculture started accepting public comment Monday on a new regulation changing adjusted gross income qualifications for disaster and commodity programs, according to a USDA press release.

Changes include reducing qualifications for disaster and commodity programs from an adjusted gross income of $2.5 million to a three-year average non-farm adjusted gross income of $500,000, according to the release.

Public comments must be submitted to the department in 30 days, according to the release.

USDA accepting applications for milk income loss program

The U.S. Department of Agriculture started accepting applications Monday for the milk income loss program and will continue until Sept. 30, 2012, according to a USDA news release.

A part of the 2008 farm Bill, the program subsidizes dairy farmers when the price of milk drops below a certain benchmark, according to the USDA Web site.

Subsidy program applications now available

The U.S. Department of Agriculture started accepting applications Monday for the direct and counter-cyclical payment programs, according to a USDA news release.

The deadline to apply is June 1, 2009, according