Tama County USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) Executive Director Anna Boecker has announced that the Supplemental Revenue Assistance Payments (SURE) program enrollment for 2011 crop year losses begins October 22, 2012.

“Producers across the state experienced several natural disasters during the 2011 crop year that caused hardship and financial losses to many agricultural operations,” said Boecker. “The SURE program provides assistance to producers when disaster strikes, since Tama County has been designated, I encourage producers with 2011 crop losses to contact our office to learn more about the program,” she said.

To qualify for a SURE payment, the producer’s operation must be located in a county that was declared a Secretarial disaster county or contiguous for the 2011 crop year and have at least a 10 percent production loss that affects one crop of economic significance. Producers with agricultural operations located outside a disaster county are eligible for SURE benefits if they had a production loss greater or equal to 50 percent of the normal production on the farm.

To meet program eligibility requirements, producers must have obtained a policy or plan of insurance for all insurable crops through the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation and obtained Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) coverage on non-insurable crops, if available, from FSA. Eligible farmers and ranchers who meet the definition of a socially disadvantaged, limited resource or beginning farmer or rancher do not have to meet this requirement. Forage crops intended for grazing are not eligible for SURE benefits.

For more information on SURE program eligibility requirements contact the Tama County FSA office at 641-484-2701 or visit the website at:

www.fsa.usda.gov/sure