Digest highlights
- 2023 DMC enrollment period closes Dec. 9
- Continue using current Form I-9
- USDA extends comment period for organic livestock handling rules
- Proposal blocks SEC GHG emission disclosure requirements for farms
2023 DMC enrollment period closes Dec. 9
Editor's note: This article has been updated to correct the closing date for the 2023 DMC enrollment period.
Dairy producers are reminded that the enrollment and coverage election period for the 2023 Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) program will begin on Oct. 17 at local USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) offices. The period closes on Dec. 9.
Producers will need to certify to commercially marketing milk, pay the $100 administrative fee and sign the DMC contract.
If a dairy operation enrolls in 2023 DMC and has 2022 DMC unpaid premium fees or unpaid receivables for regular or supplemental premium fee debt, 2023 enrollment will not be approved until the 2022 premium debt is satisfied.
For dairy operations that established supplemental production history and enrolled that production under Supplemental DMC in 2022, that supplemental production history will be included on the 2023 DMC contract.
For additional information, including 2023 premium payment options, contact your county or regional FSA office.
Continue using current Form I-9
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued an alert, Oct. 12, instructing employers to continue using the current Form I-9 to verify the identity and employment authorization of employees until further notice. Current forms are due to expire on Oct. 31, 2022.
According to the alert, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security will publish a Federal Register notice to announce the new version of the Form I-9 once it becomes available.
USDA extends comment period for organic livestock handling rules
The USDA extended the public comment period on proposed rules updating organic livestock production. The new deadline to submit comments is Nov. 10, 2022.
First published in August, the proposed rule addresses health care practice standards for euthanasia and the transport of organic livestock to sale or slaughter, and clarifies how organic slaughter facility practices and USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) regulations work together to support animal welfare. To submit comments or for more information, click here.
Proposal blocks SEC GHG emission disclosure requirements for farms
More than 100 members of the U.S. House of Representatives signed on to the “Protect Farmers from the SEC Act,” a bill designed to protect farmers and ranchers from greenhouse gas (GHG) information disclosures.
Proposed last March, the Securities and Exchange Commission's (SEC) “Enhancement and Standardization of Climate Related Disclosures for Investors” rule mandates extensive climate disclosures by public companies, including disclosure of direct and indirect GHG for their entire supply chain. Public comment on the rule closed in June.
While farmers and ranchers would not be required to report directly to the SEC under the rule, they provide almost every raw product that goes into the food supply chain. The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) has expressed concern that the rule could lead to increased costs, legal liabilities and privacy concerns for farmers. For farmers to stay compliant with the companies that purchase their products downstream, the rule could mean producers would need to track and disclose on-farm data regarding individual operations and day-to-day activities.
The Protect Farmers from the SEC Act prohibits the SEC from requiring an issuer of securities to disclose GHG emissions from upstream and downstream activities in the issuer’s value chain arising from a farm. For a summary, click here.
