FSA Encourages Producers to Report Farmland Damage Soon

Crop producers are advised to file an application for emergency conservation assistance before repairing farmland damage due to wind, water erosion, and floods. According to the Wisconsin Farm Service Agency, submitting an application does not guarantee assistance, but keeps a producer eligible should assistance become available in the future.

"To be eligible for possible emergency conservation assistance, producers must file an application and have an FSA employee visit the site before starting repairs," says State FSA Director Ben Brancel. "If you have farmland with flood, wind, or water erosion damage, report it to your local FSA office as soon as possible."

Brancel said FSA's Emergency Conservation Program provides cost-share assistance to agricultural producers who have suffered severe damage to their farmland as a result of a natural disaster, including wind, water erosion, and floods. The assistance is provided to producers that have suffered damage of such magnitude that it would be too costly for the producer to rehabilitate without federal assistance.

Some types of damage that may be covered by ECP include removing debris from farmland; grading, shaping and leveling land that has been damaged; restoring certain permanent fences; and restoring conservation structures such as grassed waterways, diversions, terraces.

Meanwhile, the agency also notes that the reporting of failed acreage to FSA is optional, but may help document crop losses and determine possible eligibility for future disaster programs.

"It is very important that farmers report failed acreage not brought to harvest to their FSA county office prior to destruction," Brancel says. "This simple act of insuring that failed acres are documented could be the determining factor in whether or not a farmer is eligible for future crop disaster program payments."

Form CCC-576, Notice of Loss, is used to report failed acreage and may be completed by any producer with an interest in the crop. 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. Producers with crop insurance should contact their local agent when losses occur and before destroying the crop.

If a producer switches from corn for grain to corn for silage, a CCC-576 for failed acreage does not need to be filed with FSA. Producers are encouraged to keep good production records on acreage with a low crop yield to document crop losses.

For more information, contact your local USDA Service Center or FSA county office.