Hello Again!
Or should I say, “Ahoy, Mateys!”
Hopefully, the rain will break soon and you can enjoy beginning a new crop year. In the meantime, FSA would like to remind producers to report prevented, planted or failed crop acreage in a timely manner.
When bad weather prevents planting or damages crops, report the acreage to your local FSA office within 15 calendar days of the final planting date for a prevented crop or of apparent crop damage from a natural disaster. Final planting dates vary among counties and crop types.
Important: Some usual Ohio crops have final plant dates that occur long before the end of crop certification, for example, oats at the end of April and corn at the beginning of June. Do not miss out because you overlooked an important date.
Reporting prevented and failed crops applies whether a crop is covered by crop insurance, is not covered, or is covered by FSA’s Non-insured Assistance Program (NAP). Producers who carry private crop insurance should contact their insurance agent immediately and advise him or her of prevented or damaged crops.
For all prevented planted or failed crops, immediately contact your FSA office to report the affected acres and file a CCC-576, Notice of Loss Application. Producers with NAP must file the CCC-576 within 15 calendar days of the damage becoming apparent, so that the loss can be appraised and production counted before the crop is destroyed, abandoned, or the ground put to another use.
Crops not covered by NAP should still be reported to create a historical record for any future disaster programs.
• Several recent FSA disaster programs have required that producers insure, through crop insurance or FSA’s NAP, all crops that are of economic significance to their farming operation. A crop is considered to be of economic significance if it contributes at least 5% of the total farm revenue. Insuring economically significant crops makes good business sense, but may also become an important factor for participation in future FSA disaster programs.
• Always maintain good records, e.g., plant dates and seed or nutrient receipts. Such records can be very important for disaster program participation.
• Never destroy failed crops before reporting them, to allow for appraisals. We are hopeful that you will not need the above information this year, but please contact your local FSA office to learn more about final plant dates, prevented planting, failed acreage, submitting a CCC-576, or NAP coverage for next year’s crops.
That’s all for now
(and hopefully that’s all of the excess rain for now!!)
FSA Andy
