Disaster Funds Available for Specialty Crop Producers

  • May 18, 2022

Commodity and specialty crop producers impacted by natural disasters in 2020 and 2021 are now eligible for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Emergency Relief Program funding through the Farm Service Agency. The USDA is providing approximately $6 billion in emergency relief payments to offset crop yield and value losses caused by wildfires, smoke exposure, floods, drought, hurricanes, winter storms, freezes, excessive heat or moisture, and other eligible disasters during that timeframe.

For producers impacted by these natural disasters, the USDA will use existing Federal Crop Insurance or Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program data to calculate and speed up the initial payments. As part of phase one, FSA will send pre-filled application forms, eligibility requirements and ERP payment calculations to producers where this information is already on file. Receiving a pre-filled application is not confirmation that a producer is eligible for a phase one payment.

In addition, producers must have one of the following forms (listed below) on file with FSA within 60 days of the phase one deadline. Producers who have participated in FSA programs most likely will have these forms on file.

  • Form AD-2047
  • Form CCC-902
  • Form CCC-901
  • Form FSA-510
  • Form CCC-860
  • Form AD-1026, as applicable

Phase one payments will depend on the type and level of the producer’s coverage, and will be calculated based on the producer’s loss due to all eligible causes of loss. Those who do receive payments are required to purchase crop insurance or NAP coverage for the next two available crop years.

Phase two emergency relief payments will be used to fill gaps and cover producers who did not participate in or receive payments through the programs used in phase one. The California Avocado Commission will provide more information about this emergency relief funding as it becomes available.

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