The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is extending the deadline to file crop acreage reports for agricultural producers in Ohio impacted by flooding and heavy moisture. The new July 22 deadline applies to reporting spring-seeded crops to USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) county offices and federal crop insurance agents.

“Agriculture operations throughout the state have been hit hard by heavy rains and flooding that have affected their operations,” said Leonard Hubert, FSA State Executive Director in Ohio. “The deadline extension provides more flexibility for producers who experienced planting and field work delays.”

Filing a timely crop acreage report is important to maintaining eligibility for USDA conservation, disaster assistance, safety net, crop insurance and farm loan programs. A crop acreage report documents all crops and their intended uses and is an important part of record-keeping for your farm or ranch.

Producers filing reports with FSA county offices are encouraged to set up an appointment before visiting the office. Acreage reports from producers in Ohio who set up appointments before the July 22 deadline are considered timely filed, even if the appointment occurs after the deadline.

USDA is taking additional steps to help producers across the country, including:

• Updating the haying and grazing date for producers who have planted cover crops on prevented plant acres;
• Offering special sign-ups through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program for assistance to plant cover crops; and
• Extending the deadline to report prevented plant acres in certain places.