In 2005, the USDA’s Risk Management Agency supported the development of a pilot crop insurance program to assist forage sorghum producers to cover production risks for sorghum varieties grown for silage production. The Pilot Silage Sorghum Program covers 37 counties in West Kansas and 2 counties in Southeast Colorado. The Risk Management Agency has hired Promar International, an agricultural consulting firm, to evaluate the program and recommend whether it should be modified and continued as a pilot, terminated, or converted to a permanent program.

Promar is holding listening sessions in Garden City, Finney County, Kansas, and in Lamar, Prowers County, Colorado in the last week of January 2008. Come tell them your views on the Silage Sorghum Pilot program, and what it would take to make these insurance products appropriate for West Kansas and South East Colorado agriculture. The times and locations are as follows:

When:

Wednesday January 30

9:00 to 11:00 MST - for growers

1:00 to 3:00 MST - for agents, adjusters, extension, bankers, farm advisers, etc.

Where:

Best Western Cow Palace Inn

1301 N Main Street, Lamar, Colorado, 81052-2115

Tel: 719-336-7753

When:

Thursday January 31

9:00 to 11:00 CST - for growers

1:00 to 3:00 CST - for agents, adjusters, extension, bankers, farm advisers, etc.

Where:

Finney County 4H Building

309 Lake Ave,

Garden City, Kansas, 67846

Tel: 620-272-3641

For further details, contact Nick Young at Promar International: 703-739-9090 x111 or by email at [email protected].