December 1st Nap Signup Deadline Approaching For County Farmers12:41PM / Friday, November 21, 2008
Pittsfield, Mass. - The USDA Farm Service Agency in Berkshire County today reminded producers that the application deadline date for 2009 coverage under the Non-Insured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP)is December 1, 2008. Producers will not be able to sign up for 2009 coverage on honey, maple sap, perennial or fruit crops after that date.
According to Aimee Thayer, County Executive Director of the USDA Farm Service Agency, 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 through a crop insurance agent.
In order to be eligible for disaster assistance programs, like the new Supplemental Revenue Assistance Program (SURE)included in the new Farm Bill, producers are required to timely purchase, at a minimum, catastrophic coverage for all insurable crops and/or NAP coverage for all non-insurable crops on their entire farm.
Crops with a December 1st deadline include strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, perennial hay and small grain crops, flowers, Christmas trees, ginseng, turfgrass sod, mushrooms, grapes, honey, maple sap and tree fruit like pears, peaches plums, apricots and cherries. Apples are covered by regular crop insurance in Berkshire County.
NAP provides financial assistance to producers of non-insurable crops when low yields, loss of inventory or prevented planting resulting in a 50% loss occurs due to natural disasters. NAP coverage for 2009 costs $250 per crop, for up to 3 crops ($750) at which level all eligible crops grown in the county are covered.
Producers who carried 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 December 1st. A new application for coverage is not required to be signed when applying for continuous coverage of the same crop or crops.
Producers should contact the Berkshire County USDA FSA County Office at 413 443-1776 for further information or come in before December 1st to signup. The office is located in room 208 of the Silvio Conte Federal Building at 78 Center Street in Pittsfield. |
