Non Insured Assistance Program deadline set

Hi again,

Another weekend of summer bites the dust.

It seems like only yesterday the children were getting out of school and the summer had just begun. Parents are now busy school shopping and preparing to send their children back to school.

Some parents do this with great anticipation, as others are not looking forward to the moment when the big yellow bus pulls up on that first day.

As usual, Ohio is experiencing its usual unpredictable weather. On Saturday, the weather was gorgeous sunshine, but by Sunday it found us cold and rainy. The weather is one factor producers cannot control that affects the outcome of their crops.

At the Farm Service Agency, we do offer the Non Insured Assistance Program or as we call it, NAP to help provide coverage for Ohio’s unpredictable weather.

NAP was designed to reduce financial losses that occur when natural disasters cause a catastrophic loss of production or prevented planting of an eligible crop by providing coverage equivalent to catastrophic (CAT) insurance.

Statute limits NAP to each commercial crop or agricultural commodity, except livestock, for which CAT is not available.

The National Farm Service Agency office (FSA) has extended the Non-Insured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) activity for 2009. As a result, the state committee established NAP application closing dates that fall before Dec. 1, 2008 have been extended to Dec. 1, 2008, for the 2009 application crop year.

Note that extending the 2009 NAP application deadlines to Dec. 1, 2008, does not modify the definition of coverage period. NAP coverage will not begin until the later of the following dates:

• 30 calendar days after the date CCC-471 is filed; and

• The date the crop is planted, not to exceed the final planting date.

The application deadline date for the 2009 NAP coverage for winter wheat, rye, barley, Speltz, apples, asparagus, blueberries, caneberries, cherries, chestnuts, forage for all hay and pasture, grapes, nectarines, peaches, pears, plums, strawberries, honey, maple sap, forage sorghum, oats, potatoes, soybeans, sunflowers, all spring planted specialty crops grown for food, aquaculture (finfish), Christmas trees, floriculture, ginseng, mushrooms, ornamental nursery, turf grass sod and watercress in Ohio, is Dec. 1, 2008.

For 2009-2012, the NAP service fees have increased from $100 to $250 per crop; $300 to $750 per county; $900 to $1,875 per producer for all counties. Producers who already have coverage on 2008 NAP crops may choose to continue coverage on the same crop or crops for 2009, if the applicable service fee is submitted by the application closing date.

A new CCC-471, application for coverage is not required to be signed when applying for continuous coverage of the same crop or crops.

Producers who choose to add a new crop(s) or delete a crop(s) from previous year’s coverage or changing crop shares must file a new CCC-471 with signatures and pay the applicable service fee.

For more information on NAP coverage, contact your local Farm Service Agency office.

That’s all for now,

FSA Andy