Posted: 10.26.2010

Brad Pfaff, Wisconsin Farm Service Agency (FSA) Executive Director, announced that up to $550 million in disaster assistance is nationally available for soybean, sweet potato, rice and upland cotton crop losses through the Crop Assistance Program (CAP). Producers with land physically located in Crawford, Grant, Lafayette, and Monroe Counties that suffered losses in 2009 because of excessive moisture or related conditions, including hail, are eligible. The deadline to sign-up for CAP is December 9, 2010.

"CAP will provide financial assistance to producers in the qualifying Wisconsin counties who are still feeling the effects of the quality and quantity losses caused by excess moisture and related conditions, such as hail, in 2009," Pfaff said. "Producers with land located in adjoining states should also contact those local FSA offices to determine if those counties also qualify for CAP."

Producers of eligible crops in disaster counties who certify to a five percent or greater crop loss in 2009 due to excessive moisture or related conditions will receive a payment based on a predetermined payment rate times the planted acres of the crop. Per acre payment rates will be prorated by FSA in order to keep payments within available funds for the program. Producers will initially receive 75 percent of their CAP payment and once sign up is complete they may receive up to an additional 25 percent. The predetermined payment rates for the eligible crops are:


The general eligibility provisions, payment limits and adjusted gross income limits that apply to FSA programs apply to CAP. No person or legal entity (excluding a joint venture or general partnership), may receive, directly or indirectly, more than $100,000 in CAP benefits. Additionally, CAP payments will be treated as 2009 revenue under the Supplemental Revenue Assistance Payments (SURE) Program.

For more information about USDA Farm Service Agency CAP or any other disaster assistance programs, visit your local FSA county office or http://disaster.fsa.usda.gov.

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