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Doug Niemeir

Farm News - USDA/Farm Service Agency

Editor's Note: Doug Niemeir is the County Executive Director for the USDA/Farm Service Agency. Doug may be reached by emailing him at Douglas.Niemeir@ks.usda.gov.

First NAP deadline coming up soon

Thursday, August 23, 2012

Most Bourbon Countians have been able to hear as well as see and feel the drought this summer with the seemingly omnipresent "hot" temperatures, abundance of "brown" vegetation, along with the "crunch, crunch" underfoot when walking across the crispy grass. With the drought in the news and affecting such a widespread area, talk of some kind of disaster program has been ongoing.

A recent World Agricultural Outlook Board map of corn-producing areas in the lower 48 states shows the drought at least touching (if not fully including) every state but Maine, Oregon, and Rhode Island. That will certainly have an impact on this year's total production. Local reports of from 0 to 5 bushels per acre up to near 80 bushels per acre have been noted so far.

Most USDA disaster programs these days require a qualifying producer to have crop insurance coverage in order to be eligible. Since a new farm bill has not been passed (nor any other disaster programs), we don't know if that requirement will remain, but is certainly a strong possibility for the future.

So, for crops not covered by standard crop insurance, the Non-insured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) offered through the Farm Service Agency (FSA) provides the needed coverage. Sept. 1 is the first of the four deadlines for purchasing 2013 NAP coverage. Crops eligible for NAP benefits are limited to those not insurable in the county through "normal" methods (i.e. regular crop insurance) and are produced for food or fiber.

Sept. 1 is the final date to pay the applicable service fee and obtain NAP coverage for aquaculture, canola, Christmas trees, speltz, turf grass sod and all small grain crops with the intent of harvesting by grazing or for forage. Of the crops listed, the most likely occurrence for area producers are small grains (primarily wheat, barley and oats) planted for grazing or forage. The other 2013 NAP purchase deadlines are Dec. 1 (all grasses, alfalfa, clover, oats), Jan. 1 (apples, pears), and March 15 (coarse grains, vegetables, melons, pecans).

The administrative service fee is $250 per crop per administrative county not to exceed $750 per producer per administrative county with an $1,875 maximum fee for multi-county producers. Interested producers must pay the fee and file form CCC-471, Application for Coverage, by the application closing deadline.

In the unfortunate event that a producer does suffer a loss on their particular crop, a form CCC-576, Notice of Loss, must be filed with FSA within 15 calendar days after the disaster occurrence, or the date the loss becomes apparent to the producer.

Producers are limited to $100,000 in benefits per person per crop year, they must certify crop acres by applicable deadlines, maintain production evidence for three years, have less than $500,000 non-farm adjusted gross income, and must comply with conservation compliance provisions in order to be eligible.

PROGRAM NOTE: One of the disaster programs left to complete is the 2011 Supplemental Revenue Assistance Payment program (SURE). The sign-up time for this program for 2011 will be announced later this year.

Interested producers should contact their local Farm Service Agency at the USDA Service Center prior to the Sept. 1 application closing date to obtain the applicable NAP coverage.