For those producers who ship more than 2.4 million pounds of milk in a year, picking the starting month for next year's MILC payment is important.

You have to visit your FSA office by September 15th if you want to change the start date from October 1, 2003.

If milk prices react the way the futures market is expecting, the MILC payments for October, November and December will be very small.

There is an excel spreadsheet at the University of Florida site that will help you predict when will be the best month to start taking your MILC payment. Go to http://www.animal.ufl.edu/devries/