Deadline for 2009 disaster payments looms

July 29, 2011 is the deadline for fruit, row crops, vegetable and other crop producers to sign up for 2009 SURE Disaster Program.

Did you have a 10% crop production loss in one crop during 2009?  If so read on.

July 29, 2011 is the deadline to apply for 2009 crop losses (yes 2009!) under the USDASupplemental Revenue Assistance Payments (SURE) program. All crops including field, orchard, nursery and greenhouse crops are covered. The program provides crop disaster assistance payments to eligible producers on farms that have incurred crop production or quality losses due to natural disasters. Only a 10% production loss of one crop of economic significance is required to be eligible. 

SURE acts as a Federal Crop Insurance Act (FCIA) or Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) “insurance bonus” giving producers potentially more coverage than their crop insurance alone. You do not have to have had an insurance claim in 2009 to be eligible for 2009 SURE but you must have had purchased 2009 crop insurance on all crops of economic significance (5% of your projected gross revenue)

Because a disaster declaration was made covering all Michigan counties in 2009, all Michigan counties are eligible for the program. 

Signing up is simple. Farm Service Agency (FSA) staff use your crop insurance yields data and coverage levels to determine your potential payment. The maximum payment is $100,000. Many producers who filed a claim for 2008 received the maximum payment.

A producer interested in signing up for 2009 SURE must do so before close of business July 29, 2011 at their local FSA county office. 

For more information contact Roger Betz or contact your local FSA office or the FSA disaster website.

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