Deadlines are fast approaching for producers that wish to purchase coverage on crops through the Non-insured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP). February 1, 2010 is the deadline for the crop of Maple Sap, March 15, 2010 is the deadline for Spring Seeded Annual Crops such as Vegetables and Grain crops not covered by crop insurance and also for Perennial Forage Pasture. For producers that plant a cover crop on new hay seeding, such as an oats cover, the crop of hay or grain is eligible for NAP coverage. Insurance on the cover crop is not required to be eligible for the SURE disaster program. And May 1, 2010 is the deadline for Ornamental Nursery crops.

NAP is intended to reduce financial losses that occur when natural disasters cause a catastrophic loss of the eligible crops. To be eligible for a NAP payment you must have suffered a yield or inventory value loss greater than fifty percent (50 percent) as the result of an eligible cause of loss.

This year has brought an increase in the cost to purchase NAP coverage. Effective May 22, 2008, the administrative service fees for NAP changed from $100 to $250 per crop, from $300 per county to $750 per county and from $900 to $1,875 per producer for all counties.

Now available is a NAP Basic Provisions Document (CCC-471 NAP BP). This is available for producers at http://www.fsa.usda.gov NOTE: After accessing the website, click “Disaster Assistance Programs”. On

the Disaster Assistance

Programs Home Page click “View NAP Basic Provisions”

located under “I Want To…. “.

Contact the Crow Wing/ Cass Office at 218-829-5965 ext 2 or the Aitkin/Itasca FSA Office at 218-927-2912 ext 2 if you have any questions.