Disaster Assistance Signup for 2011 Crop Losses

Worth County SUDA Farm Service Agence Acting Executive Director Veronica Craven announced that producers can enroll in the Supplemental Revenue Assistance Payments (SURE) program for 2011 crop year losses beginning October 22, 2012. Under the 2008 Farm Bill, SURE authorizes assistance to ranchers who suffered crop losses caused by natural disasters occurring through September 30, 2011.

Eligible producers who experienced a 2011 crop loss can contact the Worth County FSA office to learn more about the SURE program. All eligible farmers and ranchers must sign up for SURE benefits before the June 7, 2013 deadline.

To qualify for a SURE payment, the producer's operation must be located in a county or a contiguous county that was declared a disaster for 2011 and have at least a 10% production loss that affects one crop of economic significance. Producers with agricultural operations located outside a disaster county are eligible for SURE benefits if they had a production loss greater or equal to 50% of the normal production of the farm.

In Missouri. all counties received a primary Secretarial Disaster Designation or were contiguous to a county with a Secretarial Disaster Declaration during 2011. This means producers in all Missouri counties can apply for SURE benefits as long as all other eligibility requirements are met.

To meet program eligibility requirements, producers must have obtained a policy or plan of insurance for all insurable crops through the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation and obtained Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program coverage on non-insurable crops, if available, from FSA. Eligible farmers and ranchers who meet the definition of a socially disadvantaged, limited resource or beginning farmer or rancher do not have to meet this requirement. Forage crops intended for grazing are not eligible for SURE benefits. For more information on SURE program eligibility requirements, contact the Worth County FSA office at (660) 564-3341 Extension 2 or visit the website at www.fsa.gov/sure.

FSA Disaster Signup Has Begun

Worth County USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) Executive Director Mark Cadle, is reminding area producers that the 2009 crop year Supplemental Revenue Assistance Payments (SURE) program sign-up has began. SURE is a disaster program that provides assistance to farmers and ranchers who have experienced losses caused by natural disasters. This signup is for losses that area producers incurred during the 2009 growing season.

“Natural disasters can turn what would be a profitable crop year into a year of hardship and financial loss,” said Cadle. “The SURE program is part of the ‘safety net’ put in place by USDA that provides assistance to farmers and ranchers when disaster strikes,” he said. Cadle stated that “Worth county producers are eligible for assistance if they had at least one crop that experienced a 10% loss and their total farm income fell below 90% of their expected revenue.”

The signup period ends July 29, 2011 but producers are encouraged to contact the office now to allow adequate time to complete the process timely before spring fieldwork begins.

For information on the 2009 SURE program eligibility requirements visit the Worth County FSA office or go online at http://www.fsa.usda.gov/sure.