March 15, 2015, deadline for Daviess County producers
This website brought to you in part by the following sponsor:
Find out how to advertise here - Email us! [email protected]
Find out how to advertise here - Email us! [email protected]
The State Executive Director for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) in Daviess County, Kirby Payne, urges producers who want to purchase coverage through the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) to do so before the sales closing date of March 15, 2015.
NAP provides financial assistance to producers of noninsurable crops when low yields/grazing loss, loss of inventory or prevented planting occur due to natural disasters including drought, freeze, hail, excessive moisture, or excessive wind.
In order to meet eligibility requirements for NAP, crops must be noninsurable, commercially-produced agricultural commodity crops for which the catastrophic risk protection level of crop insurance is not available.
The Agricultural Act of 2014 (the 2014 Farm Bill) allows producers to choose higher levels of NAP coverage. Previously, the program offered coverage at 55% of the average market price for crop losses that exceed 50% of expected production. Producers can now choose higher levels of coverage, up to 65% of their expected production at 100% of the average market price. It is important to note that the higher coverage is not available on grazing crops.
Many specialty crops, native forage and pasture have a NAP application closing date of March 15, 2015.
“NAP policies allow producers to protect their investment by purchasing coverage for noninsurable crops,” said Mr. Payne. “Natural disasters are an unavoidable part of farming and ranching and FSA programs like NAP help producers to recover when they experience a loss.”
Eligible producers must file the application and pay a service fee by the March 15 deadline. Producers also pay a fixed premium for higher coverage. Beginning, limited resource and underserved farmers may request a waiver of the service fee and a 50 percent premium reduction when the application for coverage is filed.
For more information on NAP, service fees, premiums and sales closing dates, contact your Daviess County FSA office at 660-663-3703 or visit the web at www.fsa.usda.gov/nap
USDA is an equal opportunity employer. More information about USDA programs is available at http://www.fsa.usda.gov.