Producers who participated in the 2001 or 2002 crop disaster program are being reminded that March 15 is the final date to purchase crop insurance.

Crop insurance is required for producers who participated in the disaster program and did not have coverage in the disaster year. Participating producers signed an agreement to purchase crop insurance for the next two cropping years on the disaster program crop.

Failure to obtain adequate coverage will result in all program benefits being forfeited.

A listing of available crop insurance agents is available at the Butler County Farm Service Agency office. Some producers requested crop disaster benefits for specialty crops that crop insurance does not cover.

These producers need to participate in the Non-Insured Assistance Program. NAP also has a March 15 deadline; however, NAP is administered by the Farm Service Agency.

NAP is designed to reduce financial losses that occur when natural disasters cause a catastrophic loss of production or prevent planting of an eligible crop.

Drought, hail, temperatures below freezing and excessive moisture are eligible causes of loss. Wildlife damages or a producer's failure to follow good farming practices are ineligible causes of loss. Eligibility for payment is based on an expected yield for a specific farm.

Approved yields are based on actual production history for the farm.

Availability of NAP is triggered when production of a non-insurable crop falls below 50 percent of expected production. The NAP payment is calculated using the crop acreage, approved yield, net production and 55 percent of an average market price for the specific commodity.

To be eligible for NAP assistance, the producer shall pay a service fee at the time an application is submitted, equal to the lesser of:

$100 per eligible crop per county

$300 per producer per county.

Eligible crops include commercial crops and other agricultural commodities produced for food or filler for which catastrophic level of crop insurance is unavailable.

Also eligible are controlled-environment crops, special crops (honey) and value loss crops (aquaculture, Christmas trees, ornamental nursery and turf grass sod).

Producers must meet all program requirements regardless of whether they are a farm operator, tenant or landowner sharing in the production of a NAP crop.

Specifically, to be eligible for NAP, producers must:

Have suffered a qualifying loss of expected production

Accurately and timely report acreage and shares for all crops potentially eligible for NAP

Report crop losses within 15 days of the date the disaster occurs or the date crop damage becomes apparent

Certify crop production history and report current year production by the crop acreage reporting date for the year following the year of disaster

Complete person determination forms

Certify conservation compliance

Request measurement service if needed

Request NAP payments by the application closing date for the crop following the year of the disaster.