The Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) provides financial assistance to producers growing agricultural commodities of non-insurable crops to protect against natural disasters that result in lower yields or crop losses, or prevents crop planting.

Eligible causes of loss include damaging weather, such as drought, freeze, hail, excessive moisture, excessive wind or hurricanes.

NAP provides different levels of coverage, and producers can select the coverage that best suits the operation’s needs.

The levels of coverage are as follows:

- Basic Catastrophic Level — Losses exceed 50 percent of expected production at 55 percent of the average market price

- Higher levels of coverage increase as follows when losses exceed 50 percent, 55 percent, 60 percent and 65 percent of expected production at 100 percent of the average market price.

Producers must select the level of coverage when applying for NAP. For all coverage levels, the NAP service fee is the lesser of $250 per crop or $750 per producer per county, not to exceed a total of $1,875 for a producer with farms in multiple counties.

Producers who elect higher levels of coverage must also pay a premium. Beginning farmers, underserved and limited resource farmers are now eligible for free catastrophic level coverage, as well as discounted premiums for additional levels of protection.

The next deadline is March 15 for most spring planted crops, which are unable to be insured through crop insurance.

For more information, contact the Farm Service Agency at 724-482-4800, Ext. 2.

[naviga:h3]CREP workshop

The Beaver County Conservation District will hold a workshop to inform landowners and farm operators about the benefits of how the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) can be profitable on farming operations as well as reduce erosion, improve water quality and increase wildlife habitats.

Anyone interested in learning how profitable CREP benefits can be can attend the workshop, which will be from 9 a.m. to noon March 1 at the Beaver County Conservation District office, 156 Cowpath Road in Aliquippa.

Snacks will be provided.

Participants can register by Feb. 22 by contacting Richard Voytko at 724-378-1701.

Luke Vogel is the acting county executive director of the Butler County Farm Service Agency.