USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) Daviess Executive Director Kirby Payne reminds producers that sign up for the Crop Assistance Program (CAP) ends Dec. 9. CAP provides up to $550 million in disaster assistance to producers of rice, upland cotton, soybeans and sweet potatoes that suffered losses because of excessive moisture or related conditions in 2009.
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"Producers of these crops suffered quality and quantity losses caused by excess moisture in 2009," Payne said. "This program will help alleviate the impact of those losses."
Payments will be made available to producers of eligible cops that received Secretarial disaster designations due to excessive moisture or related conditions in 2009. A list of eligible disaster counties for CAP is located at http://disaster.fsa.usda.gov. Producers of eligible crops on farms in disaster counties who certify to a 5% or greater crop loss in 2009 due to excessive moisture or related conditions will receive a payment based on a predetermined payment rate times the planted acres of the crop.
Per acre payment rates will be reported by FSA in order to keep payments within available funds for the program. Producers will initially receive 75% of their CAP payment and once sign-up is complete, they will receive up to an additional 25%.
The predetermined, per acre, payment rates for the eligible crops are: long grain rice $31.93; medium or short grain rice $52.46; upland cotton $17.70; soybeans $15.62; sweet potatoes $155.41.
The general eligibility provisions, payment limits and adjusted gross income limits that apply to FSA programs apply to CAP. No person or legal entity (excluding a joint venture or general partnership), may receive directly or indirectly, more than $100,000 in CAP benefits. Additionally, CAP payments will be treated as 2009 revenue under the Supplemental Revenue Assistance Payment (SURE) Program.
For more information about USDA Fam Service Agency disaster assistance programs, visit the Daviess County FSA office or http://disaster.fsa.usda.gov.