Sign Up for Disaster Assistance Program

Sign Up for Disaster Assistance Program

Sign Up for Disaster Assistance Program. I'm Greg Martin with today's Line On Agriculture.

Yesterday, I spoke with Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack regarding the need to sign up for several disaster assistance programs now. Vilsack explains the rush.

VILSACK: If you are seeking to be reimbursed for forage losses as a result of a drought that occurred in 2012 or a problem that may have occurred in 2013 or 2011, you've got to have your appointment scheduled at a Farm Service Agency office before September 30th. By having the appointment the appointment scheduled before September 30th, you're in the system and because you are in the system then the sequester law which comes into effect on October 1st will not impact your payment.

If you fail to do so the consequences can affect your bottom line.

VILSACK: If you are not in the system, you make your appointment after that, you have your appointment. Your check is going to be 7 to 8% less than it would otherwise be. That's the impact of sequester so we want people to get that appointment scheduled for forage before September 30th. Now, if you've lost livestock or you're in the orchard business and you've lost trees, under the Livestock Indemnity Program and the Tree Assistance Program, you actually have to have your application not only filed but acted on before September 30th.

Vilsack says that their FSA offices are working hard to turn those application around quickly.

VILSACK: It's important over the course of the next couple of weeks that people get in, get their appointment, get their application submitted and for us to turn it around in a couple of days which we can do so that we have all of that done before September 30th.

That's today's Line On Agriculture. I'm Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network.

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