HUNTINGTON -- Laura Meadows, county executive director of USDA's Farm Service Agency in Huntington, said in a press release that sign-up has begun for the 2008 Direct and Counter-cyclical Payment Program (DCP) which helps deliver certainty for the crop year and the option of a timely advance payment. Contracts are available today at USDA Service Centers and signup will continue until Sept. 30, 2008. USDA's DCP readiness follows the June 12 availability of marketing assistance loan and loan deficiency payment (LDP) provisions, within three weeks of commodity title enactment.

Producers can fill out their 2008 DCP contract at any USDA Service Center. Producers can also sign-up online. They can choose payment options, assign crop shares and sign and submit their contracts from any computer with Internet access. They can also view and print submitted contract options.

The online, electronic DCP (or eDCP) service is available to all producers who are eligible to participate in DCP and who obtain eAuthentication accounts.

For more information about DCP, go to the DCP Web page at: www.fsa.usda.gov/FSA/webapp?area=home&subject=dccp&topic=landing.