USDA reminds Illinois County producers of March 15, 2015 sales closing date for noninsurable crops

[March 10, 2015]  Farm Service Agency (FSA) urges Illinois 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 percent of the average market price for crop losses that exceed 50 percent of expected production. Producers can now choose higher levels of coverage, up to 65 percent of their expected production at 100 percent of the average market price. It is important to note that the higher coverage is not available on grazing crops.

The following crops in Illinois have a NAP application closing date of March 15, 2015: spring and summer planted NAP crops.

Eligible producers must file the application and pay a service fee by the March 15, 2015 deadline. Producers also pay a fixed premium for higher coverage. Beginning, limited resource and underserved producers may request a waiver of the service fee and a 50 percent premium reduction when the application for coverage is filed.

[USDA Farm Service Agency]