2017 Disaster Program Deadline Approaches for Victoria/Calhoun County

Nov. 15--Victoria and Calhoun County Farm Service Agency County Executive Director Darrin Watkins reminds producers the deadline to apply for assistance under the 2017 Wildfires and Hurricanes Indemnity Program is Saturday.

Crops, trees, bushes or vines located in a county declared in a Presidential Emergency Disaster Declaration or Secretarial Disaster Designation as a primary county are eligible for assistance if the producer suffered a loss as a result of a hurricane during calendar year 2017.

Losses located in a county not designated as a primary county may be eligible if the producer provides documentation showing that the loss was due to a hurricane or wildfire in 2017.

A list of counties that received qualifying hurricane declarations and designations is available at farmers.gov/recover/whip. Eligibility is determined by Farm Service Agency county committees.

Agricultural production losses due to conditions caused by last year's wildfires and hurricanes, including excessive rain, high winds, flooding, mudslides, fire and heavy smoke, could qualify for assistance through the program. Typically, 2017 WHIP is only designed to provide assistance for production losses; however, if quality was taken into consideration under the insurance or Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program policy, where production was further adjusted, the adjusted production will be used in calculating assistance under this program.

Eligible crops include those for which federal crop insurance or NAP coverage is available, excluding crops intended for grazing. A list of crops covered by crop insurance is available through the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Actuarial Information Browser at webapp.rma.usda.gov. Both insured and uninsured producers are eligible to apply for 2017 WHIP.

Contact the Victoria or Calhoun FSA office at 361-576-1129 or 361-552-2969 to make an appointment to apply. To locate your local FSA office, visit farmers.gov. For more information on USDA disaster assistance programs, visit farmers.gov/recover.

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