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Show Conservation Reserve Deadline Is Extended The Beaver County Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation office of-fice announces two important changes in the 1960 Conservation Reserve of the Soil Bank as follows: fol-lows: 1. Basic annual rates will be established es-tablished by the same method used for 1959 contract; and 2. Farmers will have until October Oc-tober 9 (rather than Sept. 3) to take the first step in applying for the 1960 program. These changes have been made following enactment of a new law passed shortly before the recent adjournment of Congress and signed sign-ed by the President Sept. 21. The added time will enable farmers to study the new rate arrangement and determine the advisability of coming into the program. The new law, according to B. Nowers of the local ASC office, removes re-moves the legal requirement that the annual payment rate must depend de-pend on the actual crop production produc-tion during the period 1955-59 on the land placed in the reserve. Many farmers regarded such rates as unfair because of the effect of drought and other natural disasters disas-ters on crop yields during one or more of those years. Under the new law, basic annual rates for 1960 will be determined chiefly on the basis of the productivity produc-tivity and value of the land for agricultural purposes just as they were for 1959. The basic rate may not exceed 20 of the value of the land offered and may not be higher than the basic annual rate that would have been established for the same farm in the 1959 program. pro-gram. A basic per-acre rate is determined deter-mined for each farmer who requests re-quests it. The farmer may offer land and apply for a contract at any figure below that basic rate. In case funds are insufficient to permit acceptance of all applica-' tions, priority in accepting offers will be based on the rate at which the farmer offers his land. Mr. Nowers pointed put that the purpose of the Conservation Reserve Re-serve Program is to bring about the withdrawal of cropland from production, helping to adjust total crop acreage more nearly in line with needs. Land placed in the reserve re-serve may not be cropped or grazed graz-ed and must.be protected with a conservation practice. Farmers who have not previously previous-ly requested a rate determination but now believe that the program will be of interest to them should visit the ASC county office as soon as possible to obtain full information, informa-tion, Mr. Nowers said. |