North Dakota farmers are up against key deadlines this week for federal farm programs, with the Farm Service Agency urging producers to complete remaining paperwork to avoid missing out on payments. North Dakota FSA State Executive Director Brandi LaFromboise says the deadline for the specialty crop program is April 24, while the bridge payment signup closes at the end of the business day on April 17. LaFromboise says a significant amount of funding has already been distributed, but some producers still need to complete the process. “So we’re at $696, almost $697 million have been paid out, and we have right around 1100 contracts that we still need to get done this week where producers have not walked through our doors,” she said. FSA offices are making a final push to reach those remaining applicants, encouraging farmers to finalize their contracts to ensure payments are delivered.
