Farm Service Agency State Executive Director Julia A. Wickard Wednesday announced the sign-up period for the 2011 crop year Supplemental Revenue Assistance Payments Program (SURE) will open October 22, 2012 and end June 7, 2013. The SURE Program authorizes assistance to farmers who suffered crop losses caused by natural disasters occurring through September 30, 2011.
“Although the 2008 Farm Bill expired on September 30, 2012, the SURE Program is available for 2011 crop year losses,” said Wickard. “This is one of the very few FSA programs available to producers due to the lapse of authorized programs. Any eligible producer who suffered losses during the 2011 crop year is encouraged to visit the FSA office to learn more about the SURE program and how to apply.”
Production losses due to disasters occurring after September 30, 2011, are not eligible for disaster program coverage, as the disaster provisions of the Farm Bill expired on that date.
To be eligible for SURE, a farm must have:
- At least a 10-percent production loss on a crop of economic significance;
- A policy or plan of insurance under the Federal Crop Insurance Act or the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) for all economically significant crops;
- Been physically located in a county that was declared a primary disaster county or contiguous county by the Secretary of Agriculture under a Secretarial Disaster Designation. Without a Secretarial Disaster Designation, individual producers may be eligible if the actual production on the farm is less than 50 percent of the normal production on the farm due to a natural disaster. A “farm” for SURE purposes means the entirety of all crop acreage in all counties that a producer planted or intended to be planted for harvest for normal commercial sale or on-farm livestock feeding, including native and improved grassland intended for haying.
Producers considered socially disadvantaged, a beginning farmer, or a limited resource farmer may be eligible for SURE without a policy or plan of insurance or NAP coverage.
For more information on the 2011 SURE program, including Secretarial Disaster Designations, contact your local FSA office or visit the FSA website at www.fsa.usda.gov/sure.