USDA reminds producers of application closing dates for noninsurable crops

[August 06, 2011]  SPRINGFIELD -- The USDA Farm Service Agency state executive director, Scherrie Giamanco, urges producers who want to purchase 2012 coverage through the Noninsurable Crop Disaster Assistance Program to do so before the applicable sales closing dates.

The program, known as NAP, provides financial assistance to producers of noninsurable crops when low yields, loss of inventory or prevented planting occur due to normal disasters.

"Purchasing a crop insurance policy is an easy way for producers to practice risk management," said Giamanco. "This year alone has proved that natural disasters can directly affect the profitability and recovery of agricultural operations."

NAP application closing dates for various crops:

• Aug. 31 -- canola

• Sept. 1 -- Christmas trees, aquaculture, turfgrass sod, floriculture and mushrooms

• Sept. 30 -- forage and grazed crops (such as alfalfa, mixed forages and grass), barley and rye

• Nov. 20 -- fruit and perennial crops, such as apples, asparagus, blueberries, caneberries, grapes, nectarines, peaches, pears, plums, rhubarb and strawberries.

• Dec. 1 -- honey

• March 15, 2012 -- spring- and summer-planted crops

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. If the Risk Management Agency offers coverage for a crop in the county, then NAP coverage is not available for that crop.

In the event of a natural disaster, NAP covers the amount of loss greater than 50 percent of the expected production, based on the approved yield and reported acreage.

Eligible producers can apply for coverage using Form CCC-471, Application for Coverage. Producers must file the application and service fee by the application deadline. The service fee is the lesser of $250 per crop or $750 per producer per administrative county, not to exceed a total of $1,875 for a producer with farming interests in multiple counties.

For more information on sales closing dates and NAP, contact your local county FSA office.

[Text from file received from Illinois Farm Service Agency]