In an effort to provide approximately $6 billion to crop producers impacted by natural disasters in 2020 and 2021, the USDA’s Farm Service Agency has created a new Emergency Relief Program (ERP) to offset crop yield and value losses. On September 20, 2021, President Biden signed the Extending Government Funding and Delivering Emergency Assistance Act which includes monetary assistance to agricultural producers negatively impacted by wildfires, hurricanes, droughts, winter storms, and other disasters in the above-mentioned years.
For more information about the basics of the ERP, click here.
To assist with the implementation of the program, the Farm Service Agency has begun mailing over 300,000 pre-filled applications to producers that were impacted by a natural disaster in 2020 or 2021. If you were one of those producers, what do you do now?
Check Your Mailbox
The form will be mailed to you by the U.S. Postal Service, and it is due back by Friday, July 22, 2022. Completing the application should not take long as the FSA pre-filled most of the information for you.
Check Your Eligibility
ERP covers losses to crops, bushes, trees, and vines due to one of the qualifying natural disasters in 2021 and 2021. All crops covered by crop insurance or NAP are eligible, except for crops intended for grazing.
Check Required Forms on File with the FSA
The following forms must be on file with the FSA:
- Form aD-2047 Customer Data Worksheet
- Form CCC-902 Farm Operating Plan
- Form CCC-901 Member Information for Legal Entities (if applicable)
- Form FSA-510 Request for an Exception to the $125,000 Payment Limitation for Certain Programs (if applicable)
- Form AD-1026 Highly Erodible Land Conservation and Wetland Conservation Certification (if applicable)
Not sure what is on file for your operation? Click here to find out how to contact your local service center.
Check Historically Underserved Status with FSA
Historically underserved producers (e.g., beginning farmer, limited resource, socially disadvantaged, veteran farmer) will receive elevated percentages of ERP payments. To quality for a higher payment percentage, eligible producers must have the following form on file with the FSA:
- Form CCC-860 Socially Disadvantaged, Limited Resource, Beginning and Veteran Farmer or Rancher Certification
Check Your Future Insurance Coverage
Producers who receive ERP phase one payments are required to purchase crop insurance (or NAP coverage where crop insurance is unavailable) for the next two crop years.
Check Your Bank
Once you have submitted your application and it has been approved by the FSA, producers with direct deposit could receive a payment within three business days.