The American Soybean Association is urging soybean growers to participate in the $475 million Oilseed Payment Program that was approved by Congress last year as part of a comprehensive emergency farm assistance package. The money will assist farmers who are struggling with historically low farm prices.

"ASA appreciates the support of the Congress and the Administration, and the special efforts of Senator Thad Cochran (R-MS) and his staff, that made this program possible," said ASA President Marc Curtis, a soybean, corn, rice, wheat and milo producer from Leland, Miss.

A typical soybean farm of 100 acres, with a 38 bushel per acre yield, can expect to get about $535.00 from this program at the projected payment rate for soybeans of $0.1409 per bushel. The actual payment rate may be more or less than the projected rate and will be determined after sign up results are available. Soybean producers need to apply for the Oilseed Payment Program at their local USDA Service Center or Farm Service Agency county office between Feb. 28, and Mar. 31, 2000.

"While Congress was considering the farm assistance package, ASA had raised concerns that the Agricultural Marketing and Transition Act (AMTA) payments do not reflect soybean prices and income, since they are based on former program crop acres and yield," Curtis said. "The Oilseed Payment Program is a result of ASA’s efforts to help soybean producers partially offset low prices."

To be eligible for the 1999 Oilseed Payment Program, a farmer must have planted an eligible oilseed in 1999. In addition to soybeans, other eligible oilseeds are sunflowers, flaxseed, canola, rapeseed, safflower seed, mustard and crambe. Producers wishing to receive payments, who have not already reported acreage for 1997, 1998, or 1999, must do so by Feb. 18, 2000.

Producers who planted soybeans in 1999 are eligible to participate in the Oilseed Payment Program. A producer's payment is equal to the producer's payment acres times the producer's payment yield times the national payment rate. Payments are calculated differently for new producers and for those who planted in 1997 or 1998 as well as in 1999.

For producers who planted soybeans in 1999 and also in 1997 or 1998, the payment acreage is the higher of the 1997 or 1998 acreage planted to the oilseed. The payment yield for these producers is the higher of the county average yield for soybeans from 1994 through 1998, after dropping the high and low yields, or the producer's proven yield for either 1997 or 1998. The year selected for the payment acreage may differ from the year selected for the yield.

For "new" producers of soybeans who planted soybeans for the first time in 1999, the payment acreage is the 1999 acreage of the oilseed. The payment yield is the higher of the county average yield for soybeans from 1994 through 1998, after dropping the high and low yields, or the producer's 1999 yield.

To apply for payments, a producer must file one application for all of the producer's farms, and apply in the county office that serves as the producer's control county. When possible, the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) will prefill the application with the producer's acres and county average yields. If the producer does not wish to prove actual yields, the producer only has to certify to the application's accuracy and sign it.

"In addition to this Oilseed Payment Program, ASA applauds the decision by Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman to maintain the soybean loan rate at $5.26 for 2000," Curtis said. "These programs are vital to soybean producers until we can develop long term solutions for improving the safety net for farmers."