Effectively immediately, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service’s financial assistance program will no longer require a Dun and Bradstreet Universal Number System (DUNS) number, or to register in the System for Award Management (SAM). The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2018, signed by President Donald Trump on March 23, eliminated these requirements.

According to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue, DUNS and SAM were designed for billion-dollar government contractors, not everyday farmers trying to support their families. These changes help streamline the customer experience of farmers, which is a top priority at USDA, he says.

“This change greatly simplifies the contracting process for our customers and staff,” says Jon Hubbert, acting state conservationist for Iowa NRCS. “Conservation program participants will soon receive letters from their local NRCS office with more details.”

The exemption does not apply to any current or future agreements or federal contracts with eligible entities, project sponsors, vendors, partners, or other non-exempt landowners or producers.

DUNS and SAM registration is still required for:

• partnership agreements entered through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP)

• all agreements with eligible entities under the Farm and Ranchland Protection Program (FRPP)

• agreements under the Agricultural Land Easement (ALE) component of ACEP

• partnership agreements under the Wetland Reserve Enhancement Program (WREP) component of ACEP-Wetland Reserve Easements (WRE)

• watershed operations agreements with project sponsors

• Emergency Watershed Protection Program (EWP) agreements with project sponsors, including Recovery and Floodplain Easements

• all cooperative, contribution, interagency or partnership agreements of federal contracts used by NRCS to procure goods or services

NRCS advises participants in its programs to ignore any emails, phone calls or other communications from third-party vendors offering assistance for registering in SAMS or applying for a DUNS number. To learn more about NRCS financial and technical assistance, go to nrcs.usda.gov.

Source: Iowa NRCS state office

FSA makes change to livestock program

USDA announced April 24 that farmers who lose livestock to disease resulting from weather disaster have an additional way to become eligible for a key USDA disaster assistance program. Bill Northey, USDA undersecretary for farm production and conservation, announced an administrative clarification nationwide for the Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP).

In the event of disease, this change by USDA’s Farm Service Agency authorizes local FSA county committees to accept veterinarian certifications that livestock deaths were directly related to adverse weather and unpreventable through good animal husbandry and management. The committees may then use this certification to allow eligibility for producers on a case-by-case basis for LIP.

“This change is part of USDA’s broader effort to better serve farmers and ranchers through flexible and effective programs,” Northey said. “America’s farmers feed our nation and much of the world, and throughout history they have known good years and bad years. But when disaster strikes, USDA is ready to step in and help.”

LIP provides benefits to farmers for livestock deaths in excess of normal mortality caused by adverse weather, disease or attacks by animals reintroduced into the wild by the federal government. Eligible weather events include earthquakes, hail, tornadoes, hurricanes, storms, blizzards and flooding. Producers interested in LIP or other USDA disaster programs should contact their local USDA service center.

Source: USDA Farm Service Agency