VIDALIA &8212; The U.S. Department of Agriculture has begun sending counter-cyclical payments to farmers enrolled in the program, Concordia Parish Farm Service Executive Directory Kevin Case said.

Case said the payments are a way to help ensure farmers get a fair price for their crops.

&8220;They (counter-cyclical payments) kick in when commodity prices are below the target price set in the 2002 Farm Bill,&8221; he said.

The current round of checks, which Case said will go to some 400 parish producers, will collect nearly $2,192,534.

&8220;The checks are in the mail,&8221; Case said.

The payments will go to producers of crops whose prices are down, which include cotton, rice, corn and grain sorghum (milo).

Corn and grain sorghum require a larger amount of fertizer than other crops; their low market prices will likely lead growers to other crops for the 2006 season, Chase said.

And while soybeans have been a topic of much discussion, most farmers are loathe to commit too many of their acres to a single crop.

Which leaves cotton.

&8220;The price of cotton is terrible, but they&8217;ve got to plant something,&8221; he said.

A presentation on the world cotton outlook for the 2006-07 year made Friday at the USDA&8217;s Agricultural Outlook Forum predicted a rise in demand for the crop and a slightly reduced supply from world growers.

How to make the most of this predicted rise in demand will be the focus of Tuesday&8217;s 2006 Concordia Parish Cotton Production Meeting, hosted by LSU AgCenter Concordia Parish County Agent Glen Daniels. The program is designed to help cotton farmers

keep abreast of advances made in cotton varieties, nematode control and

weed control. Cotton and seedling disease lectures will be given and recommendations for the 2006 season will be made. Presentations will be made by specialists from the AgCenter.

Both Daniels and Case will also speak.

The meeting is the last chance for farmers with pesticide applicator cards expiring in March to renew without having to take a test.

Re-certification costs $25 and requires attendance at the entire meeting. The meeting will start at 8:25 a.m. and end with a free lunch at the Concordia Community Room on Louisiana 15 in Ferriday.