USDA: Disaster Program Deadline Approaches

By Jim.Robinson|December 7, 2010

The USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) reminds producers they have until close of business on Thursday, Dec. 9, to apply for assistance for 2009 losses under the Crop Assistance Program (CAP). Up to $550 million in disaster assistance will be issued to producers of rice, upland cotton, soybeans and sweet potatoes for eligible losses because of excessive moisture or related conditions in 2009.

Assistance is available to producers of eligible crops in counties that received Secretarial disaster designations as a result of excessive moisture or related conditions in 2009. A list of eligible disaster counties for CAP is located at http://disaster.fsa.usda.gov. Producers of eligible crops on farms in disaster counties who certify to a 5 percent or greater crop loss in 2009 because of excessive moisture or related conditions may be eligible for compensation based on a predetermined payment rate multiplied by the planted and considered planted acres of the crop.

Per-acre payment rates will be prorated by FSA, if applicable, to keep expenditures within established program funding limits. Producers initially receive 75 percent of their calculated CAP payment. After sign up is complete, producers may receive up to an additional 25 percent. The predetermined payment rates for eligible crops are:

Upland Cotton – $17.70 per acre;
Long grain rice – $31.93 per acre;
Medium or short grain rice – $52.46 per acre;
Soybeans – $15.62 per acre;
Sweet potatoes – $155.41 per acre.

The general eligibility provisions, payment limits and adjusted gross income limits that apply to other FSA programs apply to CAP. No person or legal entity (excluding a joint venture or general partnership), may receive, directly or indirectly, more than $100,000 in CAP benefits. Additionally, CAP payments will be treated as 2009 revenue when determining payments under Supplemental Revenue Assistance Payments (SURE) Program.

Producers interested in signing up for CAP must do so at the FSA county office where their farm records are maintained before close of business Dec. 9, 2010. For more information about USDA Farm Service Agency disaster assistance programs, visit a local FSA county office or http://disaster.fsa.usda.gov.