Deadline is Sept. 30 for SURE applications

DES MOINES — The deadline to submit USDA Farm Service Agency 2008 Supplemental Revenue Assistance (SURE) program payment applications is close of business on Sept. 30.

“Applications not filed by September 30, 2010, will not receive a payment, so producers who may have a claim, should contact their local FSA Office,” said John R Whitaker, state executive director for Iowa’s Farm Service Agency.

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 at least one crop of economic significance,” Whitaker said.

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.