As Danny Munch, American Farm Bureau Federation Economist points out, this new ERP program is basically a revamped version of the old WHIP+ program and will provide six billion [dollars] in ad hoc disaster assistance for producers who experienced qualifying losses from severe weather events in 2020 and 2021. ERP includes losses from events like wildfires, hurricanes, flooding, freezes, derechos, and also drought under the D3 and D4 categories, as well as D2 after eight consecutive weeks. It also covers losses from related conditions that occurred concurrently to major disasters like smoke exposure during wildfires.

This is supposed to happen within the next few weeks. Producers will then have to return their completed and signed prefilled applications to their local FSA office and should expect to receive payments in June-July. Producers who did not have crop insurance or NAP coverage, did not receive an indemnity, or had an area-based policy, will not be sent a prefilled application.

Again, for those that qualify under phase one of ERP, they will be sent prefilled applications based on their existing FSA information. For those that don’t get a prefilled application, they unfortunately will have to wait for information on Phase Two of the program to be announced. Also, we have a few payment examples available on our Market Intel website for farmers to review and see how they might be able to benefit.

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Building on its 135-year-legacy in Milwaukee, Komatsu Mining Corp. officially broke ground for its new state-of-the-art headquarters and manufacturing campus in Milwaukee’s Harbor District on east Greenfield Avenue.

The company recently finalized the acquisition of two parcels of land totaling nearly 57 acres for the project. Partnering with the State of Wisconsin and City of Milwaukee, Komatsu is investing approximately $285 million in its South Harbor Campus, which will include purpose-built, modern manufacturing facilities; advanced technology, robotics, engineering, and R&D labs; a large office complex, training facilities, a data solutions center and an experience center.

Komatsu Mining Corp. President and CEO Jeff Dawes said:

“Building this state-of-the-art facility with a focus on prioritizing technology, supports our commitment to developing and delivering innovative solutions for our global customers. Our goal is to create a remarkable workplace for our employees that provides space to grow, will serve as a global center of excellence for Komatsu, and demonstrates a sincere commitment to sustainability and our community.”

Pre-construction work has been underway since the end of 2019 to prepare the site for redevelopment. The company plans to occupy the new campus in 2022.

John Koetz, President, Surface Mining at Komatsu said:

“We commend We Energies for their leadership in taking on the remediation of this former superfund site. We are excited to see this harbor site transform from an abandoned brownfield to a vibrant, sustainable workplace that provides the community opportunity for family-sustaining jobs for the future.”

With the leadership of project partners, Hunzinger Construction Co, EUA, & GRAEF, full construction is now underway.  Contractors Hunzinger, A.W. Oakes & Son Inc. and Cornerstone One are all leveraging Komatsu’s new Smart Construction technologies to remotely optimize their processes and control construction planning, management, scheduling, and costs — all in near real-time.

The post Komatsu breaks ground for new campus in Milwaukee’s Harbor District appeared first on North America FarmQuip Magazine.

Sweco Products, Inc. has announced Darin Souza as our new Hydraulic Cylinder Department Manager. Darin worked in the cylinder shop for over 10 years and with his extensive shop and hands on experience we believe he’ll be the best person to serve the needs of our hydraulic cylinder customers.

The post Sweco introduces new Hydraulic Cylinder Department Manager appeared first on North America FarmQuip Magazine.