Deadline fast approaching for 2013 NAP coverage

"Delta County Farm Service Agency (FSA) wants to remind agricultural producers of the upcoming deadlines to purchase Non-Insured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) coverage for 2013 crops.  Now is the time to look ahead at your 2013 crop year plans and evaluate the need to purchase coverage against loss of production as a result of natural disaster on otherwise non-insurable crops," said Alan Bull, County Director.

  "Damaging weather including drought, frost, freeze and hail are listed as eligible causes of loss, along with other weather related events."

The following Delta County crops have a NAP application closing date of:

•  Tuesday, Nov. 20, for apricots, cherries, grapes, pears, plums, prunes, and hops; and

• Monday, Dec. 3, for alfalfa, grass, mixed forage and honey.

NAP provides coverage for crops for which the catastrophic level of insurance coverage is not available.  The program provides financial assistance to producers when low yields, loss of production, or prevented planting occur as a result of natural disasters.    Eligible producers may be compensated for losses exceeding 50 percent of the expected yield based on 55 percent of the average market price of the commodity.  Prevented planting coverage applies if more than 35 percent of the intended acreage is prevented from being planted.  To reflect a decrease in production costs incurred, the payment rate is reduced for any crop that is unharvested or prevented from being planted. Producers cannot receive assistance for the same loss under more than one USDA program.

An eligible producer is an owner, landlord, tenant, or sharecropper who shares in the risk of producing the crop or is entitled to share in the crop available for marketing from the farm or would have shared had the crop been produced.

To be eligible to receive coverage, a producer shall pay a nonrefundable service fee of $250 per crop, not to exceed $750 per county, or $1,875 for a multi-county producer.  Payment of the service fee is due at the time the producer files an application for coverage.  Service fees may be waived for limited-resource producers.

Bull noted, "With the upcoming application closing dates of Nov. 20 and Dec. 1, 2012, we urge farmers, landowners, and ranchers who wish to elect coverage or continue their enrollment to complete an application at their local FSA office." Application for coverage closing dates for various crops is scheduled throughout the year.

For more information on the program contact the Delta County FSA Office at 874-5726 ext. 2, or come by the office located at 690 Industrial Boulevard in Delta between 8 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.

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