Grower assistance available
Local growers can become eligible for disaster assistance
programs through the 2008 Farm Bill, according to Jeannine Leyva,
executive director for USDA’s Farm Service Agency in San Benito and
Santa Clara counties.
Grower assistance available
Local growers can become eligible for disaster assistance programs through the 2008 Farm Bill, according to Jeannine Leyva, executive director for USDA’s Farm Service Agency in San Benito and Santa Clara counties.
The agency will allow producers who would otherwise be ineligible for the new disaster assistance programs to become eligible by paying a fee. The Farm Bill requires producers who wish to participate in new disaster programs to have crop insurance or non-insured crop disaster assistance (NAP) coverage for the land for which assistance is being requested and for all farms in all counties in which they have an interest. Since the 2008 Farm Bill was passed after application periods had closed for those programs, producers who did not have coverage could not meet the new requirement. The Farm Bill authorizes a waiver that allows producers to pay a fee, called a “buy-in,” to be eligible for the new disaster assistance.
“I urge every producer whose crops, including grazing lands, are not fully covered by crop insurance or NAP to take advantage of this one-time opportunity,” Leyva said. “The buy-in fee is due no later than Sept. 16, 90 days after the date of enactment, as required by the Farm Bill. If you miss this opportunity you will not be eligible for disaster assistance. I also want to remind producers that the payment of the applicable buy-in fee does not afford the producer crop insurance or NAP coverage; it only affords eligibility for the 2008 disaster programs.”
Producers meeting the definition of “socially disadvantaged,” “limited resource” or “beginning farmer or rancher” do not have to pay the buy-in fee.
The fee for 2008 is $100 per crop, but not more than $300 per producer per county, or $900 total for all counties.
Further information is available through the Hollister office of the Farm Service Agency, 637-4360.
