USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) State Executive Director Bruce Nelson reminds Montana producers that beginning with the 2015 Crop Year, the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) has a new sales closing date of Sept. 30, 2014 for fall seeded annual crops and perennial forage and grazing crops.

NAP provides financial assistance to eligible producers affected by a natural disaster. The program covers crops for which federal crop insurance is not available.

Previously, the sales closing deadline for all NAP crops except value loss and honey, was March 15 of each year. However, procedure required that the NAP sales closing dates coincide with Risk Management Agency (RMA) sales closing dates for the specific crops. The Montana FSA State Committee changed the annual sales closing date for fall seeded annual crops and perennial forage and perennial grazing crops from March 15 to Sept. 30 of each year. The deadline for 2015 spring planted crops is March 15, 2015.

NAP covers losses greater than 50 percent of your expected production, based upon your approved yield and reported acreage. To apply for 2015 crop coverage, producers must complete an FSA CCC-471 application for coverage form and pay the applicable NAP service fee by the sales closing date for the specific crop. The service fee is $250 per crop per administrative county, up to $750 per producer per administrative county, not to exceed $1875 per producer in all counties. The administrative service fee for NAP coverage will be waived for producers who meet the definitions for socially disadvantaged, limited resource, or beginning farmers and ranchers.

Producers are encouraged to contact their local FSA county office to purchase NAP policies for all fall seeded annual crops and perennial forage and grazing crops by the 2015 sales closing date of Sept. 30, 2014.

Source - http://www.kxlo-klcm.com/