Is FSA' s NAP p r o g r a m r i g h t f o r y o u a s a p r o d u c e r

Farmers and ranchers rely on crop insurance to protect themselves from disasters and unforeseen events, but not all crops are insurable through the U SDA's Risk Management Agency. The Farm Service Agency's Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program provides producers with another option to obtain coverage against disaster for these crops. NAP provides financial assistance to producers of nonins ured crops impacted by natural disasters that result in lower yields, crop losses or prevent crop planting.

Commercially produced crops and agricultural commodities for which crop insurance is not available are generally eligible for NAP. Eligible crops include those grown specifically for food, fiber, livestock consumption, biofuel or biobased products or be commodities such as value loss crops like Christmas trees and ornamental nursery, honey, maple sap and many others. Contact your FSA office to see which crops are eligible in your state and county. Eligible causes of loss include drought, freeze, hail, excessive moisture, excessive wind or hurricanes, earthquake and flood.

These events must occur during the NAP policy coverage period, before or during harvest and the disaster must directly affect the eligible crop. For guidance on causes of loss not listed, contact your local FSA county office. Interested producers must apply for coverage using FSA form CCC-471, "Application for Coverage," and pay the applicable service fee at the FSA office where their farm records are maintained. These must be filed by the application closing date.

Closing dates vary by crop, so it is important to contact your local FSA office as soon as possible to ensure you don't miss an application closing date.

At the time of application, each producer will be provided a copy of the NAP Basic Provisions, which describes how NAP works and all the requirements you must follow to maintain NAP coverage. NAP participants must provide accurate annual reports of their production in non-loss years to ensure their NAP coverage is beneficial to their individual operations.

Producers are required to pay service fees which vary depending on the number of crops and number of counties your operation is located in. The NAP service fee is the lesser of $325 per crop or $825 per producer per administrative county, not to exceed a total of $1, 950 for a producer with farming interests in multiple counties. Premiums also apply when producers elect higher levels of coverage with a maximum premium of $15, 750 per person or legal entity depending on the maximum payment limitation that may apply to the NAPcovered producer.

The service fee can be waived for beginning, qualifying veteran, and limited-resource farmers and ranchers. These farmers and ranchers can also receive a 50% reduction in the premium. For more information about NAP, contact the Mitchell-Yancey FSA O ffice at 11943 S. 226 Highway, Spruce Pine or call 765-5049 or 682-0774. Producers may also visit fsa. usda.gov.