USDA Notes: Tobacco Payment Contract Information Listed

Source from:  amnews.com 11/17/2005

The Fair and Equitable Tobacco Reform Act of 2004 established the Tobacco Transition Payment Program (TTPP), which provides annual payments for 10 years from 2005 through 2014 to eligible tobacco quota holders and producers. Payments for 2006 and subsequent year payments will be made every Jan. 15. Quota holders and producers who did not sign-up for the 2005 payment must enroll by Dec. 2, 2005 to receive the 2006 and future year payments. LUMP SUM Payments: A TTPP contract holder who is eligible to receive payment may enter into a Successor-In-Interest (SII) contract with another party for the purpose of obtaining a lump-sum payment. The lump-sum payment must equal or be greater than the maximum discount rate (MDR) established monthly by the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC). TTPP information and a list of parties registered with CCC to provide lump-sum payments can be found at: http://www.fsa.usda.gov/tobacco. Contract holders who wish to enter into a successor-in-interest contract for their remaining nine payments in return for a lump-sum payment must have their (CCC-962) request submitted either on-line, mail or fax by Dec. 2, 2005 to the National Tobacco Processing Center (NTPC), 1009 Lenox Drive, Bldg. 4, Ste. 101, Lawrenceville, NJ 08648-2321, Fax number (609) 620-7865. Contact the NTPC at 1-(800) 673-2331 concerning SII Contracts questions. Contract transfers exempt from the MDR are limited to the following: Family Member Transfers: Contract rights may be transferred to a parent, grandparent or other direct lineal ancestor, child or other direct lineal descendent, spouse, or sibling of a tobacco quota holder or tobacco producer. Because of Death: Contract rights in the event of death of the contract holder may be transferred to the surviving spouse or to new contract holders identified by a person allowed under State law to distribute the assets of the deceased contract holder, provided there is no surviving spouse. Permanent Quota Assignment: Contract rights may be transferred to a party who has purchased a tobacco marketing quota before Oct. 22, 2004, and had placed the quota on a farm with the owner's consent before Oct. 22, 2004 payment. Requests for contract transfers exempt from the MDR (CCC-971) must be completed at their local FSA County Office by Dec. 2, 2005 for the 2006 and future year payments. Contact your local FSA County Office concerning questions about contract transfers exempt from MDR. Natural Resources conservation services signups USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Services (NRCS) is accepting applications for the Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP) signup. Landowners may apply for WHIP at any time however; applications received by Dec.1, 2005, will be evaluated and considered for the 2006 program year. Applications received after that date wil be held until the next evaluation period. WHIP provides landusers an opportunity to improve wildlife habitat. The program allows up to 75 percent cost-share assistance for eligible practices on land they own or control. The landuser must devote at lease 10 acres to eligible wildlife practices. In Kentucky, the primary focus of WHIP is to restore and create early successional habitats. Planting native grasses for wildlife cover or for the dual purpose of grazing and wildlife cover are eligible practices under Kentucky's 2006 WHIP cost-share assistance. WHIP focuses on wildlife improvements to improve cover, and food plots are not eligible in this program. Other eligible practices for cost-share assistance include old field regeneration; forest stand improvement; field borders; tree and shrub plantings; wildlife watering holes; shallow water areas; and fencing to exclude livestock from strams, woodland, wetlands, and wildlife lands. WHIP applications are evaluated and ranked to determine which applications provide the most beneficial habitats. To apply for WHIP, please contact: Mary Ann Sharp, District Conservationist, USDA Service Center at (859) 238-7461, ext. 3 or Chris Garland, Biologist with the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources at 501-695-5203, ext. 118. Enditem