DAVIS, Calif. – The deadline to submit applications for assistance for 2008 crop year losses under the USDA Farm Service Agency 2008 Supplemental Revenue Assistance (SURE) program payment is Sept. 30.

“Farmers and ranchers in California have to cope with all types of natural disasters,” said Farm Service Agency State Executive Director Val Dolcini. “The 2008 Farm Bill created the SURE program to assist growers when these weather-related disasters cause crop losses.”

 

SURE provides crop disaster assistance payments to eligible producers on farms that have incurred crop production or crop quality losses.

The program takes into consideration crop losses on all crops grown by a producer nationwide. SURE provides assistance in an amount equal to 60 percent of the difference between the SURE farm guarantee and total farm revenue.

The farm guarantee is based on the amount of crop insurance and Non-insured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) coverage on the farm. Total farm revenue takes into account the actual value of production on the farm as well as insurance indemnities and certain farm program payments.

To be eligible for SURE, producers must have suffered at least a 10 percent production loss on a crop of economic significance.

In addition, producers must meet the risk management purchase requirement by either obtaining a policy or plan of insurance, under the Federal Crop Insurance Act or NAP coverage, for all economically significant crops.

For 2008 crops, producers had the opportunity to obtain a waiver of the risk management purchase requirement through a buy-in provision.

Producers considered socially disadvantaged, a beginning farmer or rancher or a limited resource farmer may be eligible for SURE without a policy or plan of insurance or NAP coverage.

Additional information about SURE is available at county FSA offices or on line at www.fsa.usda.gov.