USDA, Stabenow: Disaster aid for fruit growers available
July 21, 2014 | 02:21 PM
The Agriculture Department’s Farm Service Agency announced today that disaster assistance for bush or tree free growers due to frost or freeze during the 2012 crop year will be available starting Tuesday.
The program is known as the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program or NAP. Applications must be submitted to FSA county offices by Sept. 22, 2014.
Farmers who did not have access to crop insurance and are in primary and adjacent counties that received a Secretarial disaster designation because of frost or freeze in 2012 are eligible for NAP assistance. Losses due to weather damage or other adverse natural occurrences may also qualify for program assistance.
Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich, noted in a news release that she had authored NAP buy-up provisions in the 2014 farm bill.
“Family farms and businesses shouldn’t have to go under because of a few days of bad weather,” Stabenow said. “That’s why it was so crucial when writing the 2014 farm bill to make sure that growers of all crops have access to relief to keep their farms running.”
To expedite applications, producers who experienced losses are encouraged to collect records documenting these losses in preparation for the sign-up in this program, USDA said in a news release.
Producers also are encouraged to contact their FSA county office to schedule an appointment. Limited resource, socially disadvantaged, and beginning producers are eligible for premium reductions and also may be eligible for fee reductions.
▪ USDA Farm Service Agency — Fact Sheet: 2012 Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program Coverage for Frost, Freeze or Weather Related Fruit Losses
▪ — 2012 Frost and Freeze Secretarial Designations Primary and Contiguous Counties
The program is known as the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program or NAP. Applications must be submitted to FSA county offices by Sept. 22, 2014.
Farmers who did not have access to crop insurance and are in primary and adjacent counties that received a Secretarial disaster designation because of frost or freeze in 2012 are eligible for NAP assistance. Losses due to weather damage or other adverse natural occurrences may also qualify for program assistance.
Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich, noted in a news release that she had authored NAP buy-up provisions in the 2014 farm bill.
“Family farms and businesses shouldn’t have to go under because of a few days of bad weather,” Stabenow said. “That’s why it was so crucial when writing the 2014 farm bill to make sure that growers of all crops have access to relief to keep their farms running.”
To expedite applications, producers who experienced losses are encouraged to collect records documenting these losses in preparation for the sign-up in this program, USDA said in a news release.
Producers also are encouraged to contact their FSA county office to schedule an appointment. Limited resource, socially disadvantaged, and beginning producers are eligible for premium reductions and also may be eligible for fee reductions.
▪ USDA Farm Service Agency — Fact Sheet: 2012 Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program Coverage for Frost, Freeze or Weather Related Fruit Losses
▪ — 2012 Frost and Freeze Secretarial Designations Primary and Contiguous Counties
