Marathon County Farm Service Agency County Executive Director, Matt Peplinski, reminds producers that the sign-up period for the 2011 crop year Supplemental Revenue Assistance Payments (SURE) program will begin on October 22, 2012 and ends on June 7, 2013. SURE provides assistance to farmers and ranchers who have suffered losses due to natural disasters. This is not a sign-up for 2012 losses.
"SURE is part of the ‘safety net’ that provides assistance to producers who have suffered losses from natural disasters,” Peplinski said. "Producers who suffered losses during the 2011 crop year are encouraged to visit their local FSA office to learn more about the SURE program as the sign-up deadline is June 7, 2013."
To be eligible for SURE a farm must have:
• At least a 10 percent production loss adjusted for quality on a crop of economic significance;
• A policy or plan of insurance under the Federal Crop Insurance Act or the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) for all economically significant crops;
• Been physically located in a county that was declared a primary disaster county or contiguous county by the Agriculture Secretary under a Secretarial Disaster Designation. Without a Secretarial Disaster Designation, individual producers may be eligible if the actual production on the farm is less than 50 percent of the normal production on the farm due to a natural disaster.
In Wisconsin, the following counties were determined primary or contiguous for 2011:
Ashland Bayfield
Burnett Clark
Douglas Florence
Forest Grant
Green Iron
Lafayette Langlade
Lincoln Marathon
Marinette Oconto
Oneida Portage
Price Sawyer
Shawano Taylor
Vilas Washburn
Waupaca Wood
Producers considered socially disadvantaged, a beginning farmer or rancher, or a limited resource farmer may be eligible for SURE without a policy or plan of insurance or NAP coverage.
For more information on the 2011 SURE program, call 715-848-2330 to schedule an appointment with the Marathon County FSA office or http://www.fsa.usda.gov/sure.
