The Farm Service Agency in Kansas reminds producers that March 15 is the application closing date for certain crops under the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program.
Crops eligible for NAP benefits are limited to those not insurable in the county and are produced for food or fiber.
March 15 is the final date to pay the applicable service fee and obtain NAP coverage for coarse grains, vegetable and melon crops, cotton, pecans and pumpkins.
The administrative service fee is $250 per crop per administrative county, not to exceed $750 per producer per administrative county and a $1,875 maximum fee for multi-county producers.
Interested producers must pay the fee and file form CCC-471, Application for Coverage, by the closing deadline.
This coverage entitles eligible producers to a payment of 55 percent of an average market price for the commodity if a natural disaster caused a 50 percent production loss or greater of an eligible crop.
In the event that a producer does suffer a loss on their particular crop, a form CCC-576, Notice of Loss, must be filed with FSA within 15 calendar days after the disaster occurrence or the date the loss becomes apparent to the producer.
Producers are limited to $100,000 in benefits per person per crop year, they must certify crop acres by applicable deadlines, maintain production evidence for three years, have less than $500,000 Non-farm Adjusted Gross Income, and must comply with conservation compliance provisions in order to be eligible.
Producers must obtain NAP coverage on non-insurable crops and purchase crop insurance on insurable crops to remain eligible for the other FSA supplemental disaster assistance programs.
Contact the local Farm Service Agency at the USDA Service Center prior to the March 15 application closing date to obtain your NAP coverage.
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Bill Harmon is executive director of the FSA office in Marion County.
