OMAHA (DTN) -- Farmers in 12 flood-ravaged states will have an extra week -- until July 22 -- to report spring-seeded crops to USDA's Farm Service Agency, according to a news release from USDA.

The new deadline applies to producers in Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, Tennessee and Wisconsin for reporting to FSA county offices and crop insurance agents.

Farmers not in the selected states are required to file reports or be added to a county register by the original July 15 deadline.

USDA said in the news release that filing timely crop-acreage reports is important for maintaining eligibility for USDA conservation, disaster assistance, safety net, crop insurance and farm loan programs. A crop-acreage report documents all crops and their intended uses.

Producers filing reports with FSA county offices are encouraged to set up an appointment before visiting the office, USDA said.

Acreage reports from producers in the affected states who set up appointments before the July 22 deadline are considered timely filed, according to the news release, even if the appointment occurs after the deadline. Likewise, reports from producers in non-affected states who set up appointments before July 15 will be considered timely filed.

"These are challenging times for farmers, and we are here to help," said Bill Northey, USDA Undersecretary for farm production and conservation. "While producers in many parts of the country are experiencing a challenging spring and early summer, these states are seeing an especially large number of producers delayed in planting and unable to complete their other fieldwork."

Find more information here: https://www.farmers.gov/…

(TN/AG/CZ)

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