Trudy Kareus, State Executive Director of the Colorado Farm Service Agency (FSA), urges producers who want to purchase coverage through the Noninsurable Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) to do so before the sales closing date of March 15, 2013.
NAP provides financial assistance to producers of noninsurable crops when low yields, loss of inventory or prevented planting occur due to natural disasters.
“Purchasing a crop insurance policy is an easy way for producers to practice risk management,” said Kareus. “This year alone has proved that natural disasters can directly affect the profitability and recovery of agricultural operations.”
The following crops have a NAP application closing date of March 15: amaranth, artichokes, beans, beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, buck wheat, cabbage, melon, cantaloupe, carrots, cauliflower, celery, corn, cucumbers, eggplant, flaxseed, flowers, gourds, grain sorghum, turnips, watermelon, sugar beets, sunflower, potatoes, tomatillos, tomatoes, greens, herbs, honey dew, kochia, kohlrabi, leeks, lentils, lettuce, millet, oats, okra, peas, peppers, potatoes, pumpkins, quinoa, radishes, rapeseed, rutabaga, safflower, forage sorghum, soybeans, squash and strawberries.
In order to meet eligibility requirements for NAP, crops must be noninsurable, commercially-produced agricultural commodity crops for which the catastrophic risk protection level of crop insurance is not available. If the Risk Management Agency (RMA) offers coverage for a crop in the county, then NAP coverage is not available for that crop.
In the event of a natural disaster, NAP covers the amount of loss greater than 50 percent of the expected production based on the approved yield and reported acreage.
Producers must file the application and service fee by the deadline date listed above. The service fee is the lesser of $250 per crop or $750 per producer per administrative county, not to exceed a total of $1,875 for a producer with farming interests in multiple counties.
For more information on sales closing dates and NAP, please contact your local FSA office or visit www.fsa.usda.gov.
USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. To file a complaint of discrimination, write: USDA, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410, or call (866) 632-9992.
