Beech Tree News Network

Lexington, KY, May 8, 2013— With spring planting underway, the Farm Service Agency is reminding  producers to timely report any prevented or failed acreage to their local office.

 Prevented planting acreage, or acreage that could not be planted because of wet field conditions or other natural disaster, should be reported to FSA within 15 days of the final planting date of the crop. This includes crops covered by crop insurance or the Non-insured Assistance Program (NAP) and crops without insurance coverage. Producers should contact their local FSA office or crop insurance agent to verify final planting dates for all crops since they vary among counties and crop types.

 For crop losses on crops covered by the Non-insured Assistance Program (NAP), producers must contact their local FSA office within 15 days of the occurrence of the disaster or when losses become apparent to file a Notice of Loss. Producers with crop insurance should contact their local agent when losses occur and before destroying the crop.

 To report prevented or failed acreage, producers must complete Form CCC-576, Notice of Loss for interested crops. Reporting prevented or failed acreage to FSA will ensure compliance with current farm programs, and possible eligibility for future disaster programs.

 If a producer misses the reporting deadline for prevented planting, they may still report prevented planting acreage as long as the disaster condition may be verified by a field visit before it is abandoned or destroyed. Contact your local FSA Service Center for additional information.