Producers who experienced losses to bush or tree fruit crops due to frost or freeze during the 2012 crop year may be eligible for assistance through the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP). The program, authorized by the 2014 Farm Bill, provides supplemental NAP payments to eligible producers.
Farmers who did not have access to crop insurance and are in primary and adjacent counties that received a Secretarial disaster designation because of frost or freeze in 2012 are eligible for NAP assistance. Losses due to weather damage or other adverse natural occurrences may also qualify for program assistance.
NAP enrollment begins July 22, 2014. Applications must be submitted to FSA county offices by Sept. 22, 2014.
To expedite applications, producers who experienced losses are encouraged to collect records documenting these losses in preparation for sign-up. Producers also are encouraged to contact their FSA county office to schedule an appointment. Limited resource, socially disadvantaged, and beginning producers are eligible for premium reductions and also may be eligible for fee reductions.
Interested producers can view the 2012 NAP Coverage for Frost, Freeze or Weather Related Fruit Losses Fact Sheet at http://go.usa.gov/5kSQ, or visit a local FSA office. To find out if land is located in an eligible frost/freeze county, visit http://go.usa.gov/53rz.
