USDA Farm Service Agency reminds producers to report acreage that was prevented from being planting and/or failed acres because of natural disaster in order to establish or retain FSA program eligibility for some programs.
Producers should report crop acreage they intended to plant, but because of natural disaster, were prevented from planting. Prevented planting acreage must be reported on form CCC-576, Notice of Loss, no later than 15 calendar days after the final planting date as established by FSA and Risk Management Agency.
Established Final Planting Dates based on the physical location county:
• Corn – April 25 for most counties; with the exception being May 10 final planting date for Tate, Marshall, Lafayette, Benton, Tippah, Union, Pontotoc, Alcorn, Tishomingo, Prentiss, Lee and Itawamba Counties
• Grain Sorghum – May 15
• Cotton and Rice – May 25
• Peanuts, Watermelons, Peas and many other crops – May 31
• Soybeans – June 15
• Double-Cropped Soybeans – June 25
If your crop is not listed, contact the county office to get final planting dates that could affect you.
Please file any prevented request within 15 days of the final planting date to alleviate the need for more proof and the possible need of a late-filing measurement service fee. Late-filed reports will only be accepted and approved if certain conditions are met. If the late-filing criteria requires that FSA conduct a farm visit, and the eligible disaster condition that prevented the crop from being planted cannot be verified at the time of field visit, then the request must be disapproved.
Additionally, producers with failed acres should also use form CCC-576, Notice of Loss, to report failed acres. Report failed acreage within 15 days of the occurrence of the disaster or when losses become apparent.
For losses on crops covered by the Non-Insured Crop Disaster Assistance Program, producers must file a Notice of Loss within 15 days of the occurrence of the disaster or when losses become apparent, however many crops require an earlier notification. Producers of hand-harvested crops must notify FSA of damage or loss through the administrative county office within 72 hours of the date of damage or loss first becomes apparent. This initial notification can be provided by filing a CCC-576, email, fax or phone. Producers who notify the county office by any method other than by filing the CCC-576 are still required to file a CCC-576, Notice of Loss, within the required 15 calendar days.
To find your local FSA office visit http://offices.usda.gov.
